Freshmen Chronicles
by IceK7-1
Summary: It's Naruto's first year of college, and he has one hell of a year in front of him! Coming-of-Age, Hurt/Comfort, Language
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note**: Okay, I must inform you that this story was created as a way for me to get my desire to write out of my system, because I have no time to work on my novel. Therefore, though it won't be total crap, I'm not going to be as anal or as serious about it as I usually am with my writing. The good thing is that because I'm just writing whatever fits and comes to mind, it should be updated quickly. A little bit of feedback would still be nice, though, because I'm using every bit of critique to improve my novel. Hopefully, I'm not too rusty.

**Disclaimer**: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto, not me. I do not make any money from this story.

**Chapter 1**

So, here it is, the first day of college. I can already tell it's going to be a hell of a year. There's no way Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze can be released unto the world without parental supervision, and not have all hell break lose, ha-ha. Besides, my entire family was hell raisers, and it's well known all over the town, so there's no reason to be secretive and all that bullshit. My uncle Inoichi was a player his whole life; quiet as it's kept, he still is. Though he tried to put up a good front when his 19-year-old girlfriend got pregnant by marrying her, enter my cousin Deidara by the way, his biggest deed wouldn't occur 'till two years later when he was 29.

You see, my mom saw my dad consoling her best friend Kurenai after she had just broken up with my dad's best friend Kakashi, and instead of asking what the hell was going on, she overreacted like usual, and my uncle just happened to be there to… comfort her. Of course, my mom, well future mom, got pregnant with my half-sister Ino at 17-years-old, which led to an insane rift in the family. My uncle's wife, Temari, was trying to manually castrate him while simultaneously eviscerate my mom, my dad was trying to remove his so-called ex-brother's brains through his nose, and my mom was a sobbing puddle of foolishness. I still don't know how he talked his way out of it, but my uncle's charm was able to soothe most of the tension.

My dad, on the other hand, was not buying it, and I can't say that I blame him. It's a hell of a pill to swallow that your old ass, married brother got your girlfriend pregnant, who's only a junior in high school, while you're just a 19-year-old sophomore in college. Luckily, for me, things were brought down to a simmer after Ino was born, and my uncle took full custody. That made way for reconciliation between my mom and dad, and I was born just 13 months after Ino.

Crazy shit, right? You should see us on holidays. Everyone's smiling, laughing and joking as if everything is normal, but my uncle boned his younger brother's wife, my half-sister is also my first cousin, and her half-brother just happens to be my first cousin as well. I totally blame Granny Tsunade for this. She never should have married and reproduced with my perverted bastard of a Grandfather, Jiraiya. It's quite clear the horn-dog gene was passed down through him. It skipped my dad, and only grazed me. No one else was as lucky. But, now that I'm leaving behind my very own private version of Jerry Springer, I can finally make my name famous for something of my own doing.

This brings me back to the discussion of my first day of college. I'm telling you now, if my roommate is messy and his shit overflows onto my side of the room, I'm beating his ass, if he's some type of nudist, I'm beating his ass, if he likes to fart and belch all loud, I'm beating his ass. I went through that bullshit with Deidara this summer when he moved in with us for summer vacation. There is nothing like waking up at three in the morning to another's man's bare ass and balls six inches from your face as he's trying to put the finishing touches on his "masterpiece." I swear I tried to shove that paintbrush and his "masterpiece" as far up his ass as it would go. I was hoping to hit the screw that was obviously loose. I mean who in the hell spends thousands of dollars to major in fucking art? Whatever, if he doesn't want to be a part of his father's company, I will gladly step in after I get my degree in International Marketing. Hmm, I'm still debating about whether I should minor in linguistics or computer technology. I'm sure it will come to me soon.

"Naruto!" Ino yells, and almost makes me drop the box I'm carrying. It sounds like she's standing in my ear, but I know from experience that she's all the way down the hall.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask with a slightly nervous grin after I steady my grip, before turning around. I see that she's peeved about something, but it doesn't look like she's out for blood.

"Why didn't you tell me what time you were moving in? I could have helped you out, you know?" She asks while looking slightly put out. I instantly feel bad, because though Ino is a pistol, and tries to act like we're 13 years apart versus 13 months, she always looks out for me, and I love her dearly for it.

"Sorry sis, I thought you were in class. But, if you want to help, I just got started. I haven't even seen my room, yet," I say with a sharp grin, and she returns it.

"Oh, I have class, but I thought helping you out was more important. This will be the only year all three of us will be here at the same time, and I want to make the most of it," she replies before turning around towards the parking lot. I can't help, but to smile. She's a lot like my dad when it comes to keeping the family together.

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure Deidara will fail at least one class this year," I call out as her head bends the corner. I hear her laugh before I join in. I wish I was completely joking, but like a dumb ass, Deidara took all of the classes he enjoys his first two years, and saved all of the hard shit for his last two. He spent his 21st birthday studying for finals, and then got mad at me, because I wasn't old enough to go out drinking with him, and all of his college buddies had already moved back home. He barely passed last year, and now he has to take U.S Government, Intro Bio, Human Bio, Statistics, General Chemistry I and II, General Physics I and II and 4 labs. Hell, he might fail a whole semester's worth of classes.

"Geez, what the hell did you put in these boxes, weights?" Ino grunts as she wobbles down the hall. I start to tell her that she had guessed correctly, but she would just hit me, and there's no reason for both of us to be hurting.

"Come on, I'm on the first floor, and the room is only five doors down," I say as I quickly make my way down the hall. I don't want her curiosity getting the better of her; I like my balls just where they are.

I open the door, and am surprised that the entire room was remodeled, recently. You always hear about how shitty college dorms are, but this monstrosity of a room had to be 1000 square feet. In fact, based on the shape, I would say that they combined two dorms into one. The floors are all mahogany, the paint is a crisp white instead of the standard piss/flesh color, and the window bows out to make a full seat.

"What the hell?" Ino asks incredulously as she slowly takes everything in. Her face is mixture of shock, confusion and jealousy. I, on the other hand, am concerned about the price. There is no way in hell this costs the same as a standard edition dorm room, and I am not about to pay an assload of money on a pimped out room. I would have been happy with a shoebox as long as it was clean.

"Hell naw, I'm about to go talk to somebody about this," I speak quietly as I head to the door. Ino instantly grabs my arm, and stares at me with her eyes bright.

"You can't. This is magnificent. I would kill for a room like this," she says as she looks around again before looking back at me. I'm not the least bit moved, and it shows on my face, and is confirmed when I shake my head in the negative.

"I'm not paying for this shit, and I'm not asking my dad or your dad to pay for it either," I reply and try to turn again, but she's still hanging on.

"Please, just keep it for a week. Even if they charge you a hundred dollars more for the one week, it's still less than a night at a good hotel," she says while practically pleading. I know what she's up to; she wants to throw a party, which actually sounds pretty damn good. Fuck, I haven't even attended one class, yet a party will likely be happening in my room within less than a week. Ino is going to be the death of me.

"Fine," I finally say, and she brightens.

"But, you're paying for it," her smile instantly turns into a pout, but once again, I'm not moved. I've seen my sister turn guys into puddles of goo with just one look, but I am immune to the Yamanaka charm. All Namikaze are. It's how my granny is able to open a can of whoop-ass on my grandfather whenever she feels like it.

"I mean it, Ino," I add to insure that she understands, and her pout turns into a full on frown.

"Fine, Mr. Krabs, I'll give you the damn money," she growls, and I simply smile and wink. She has more money than she needs, so I don't feel the least bit bad. That just means one less pair of shoes for her this month, and I still need to buy books.

"So, who's your roommate," she asks casually as though she wasn't just glaring holes into the side of my head. This disturbs the newbies, but I am past used to it.

"The hell if I know, you walked in when I did," I respond just as calmly. She immediately gets a devilish glint in her eye.

"Hurry up and set up before the poor bastard gets here. You were here first, so you totally get first dibs," she states before hurrying back out to the car to get more boxes. I think her words over, then instantly start unloading. I quickly put my clothes in the bigger closet, and hurriedly set up my desktop at the desk that has the least amount of glare, before Ino comes charging back in with my box of linens. At first, I race over to the bottom bunk, and start setting up, but then I get a vision of Chouji. If my roommate is a fat ass, I definitely don't want him above my head. Therefore, I abort the mission, and start ripping the sheets off the bottom bunk, before quickly placing them on the top. Ino looks at me strangely, but after I mutter Chouji, her eyes widened slightly before she nods her assent.

"It looks like you have everything taken care of in here, so I'll do the bathroom," she says before dashing off. Just as I was hanging my Rihanna poster, Ino yells out, "Holy fuck," and Ri-Ri instantly crumbles to the ground. At least Megan Fox didn't suffer the same fate. But, nevermind that, something's up.

"What's going on?" I yell as I practically break through the door. Ino doesn't say a word; she just keeps gawking at the room while pointing her finger at it. Sensing that I'm not going to get an answer, I look into the room, and gasp out a quiet, "Holy fuck!"

The entire bathroom is finished in slate grey granite and chrome from top to bottom. There is a walk-in shower with a separate whirlpool bathtub, double sinks, a toilet with a bidet, and a urinal. This bathroom is more extravagant than the main bathroom back home. How the fuck did I get this room?

"Maybe you shouldn't stay longer than three days," Ino says no sooner than my previous thought crossed my mind. I simply nod, dumbly; I can't get my lips to move.

"Al-alright then, I **have** to go to my next class. I can't get the same reputation as Deidara, it would ruin the Yamanaka name," Ino tries to laugh, but is clearly still just as puzzled as me. I feel her hug me from the side, but can't peel my eyes away from seemingly 3000-dollar sink fixtures.

"Welcome to the twilight zone," I mumble as I put my orange, Reach toothbrush in the holder. It looks out of place like a pimple on a porcelain doll, so I quickly throw it in the garbage, and wonder where I can get a diamond-studded toothbrush. Before I can even think of getting on eBay to search for this elusive toothbrush, I hear my dorm door open. I turn around and am met with pale and stoic times duex. I can practically see the money oozing out of their pores with their matching black, tailor-made business suits and platinum cufflinks. I am not poor, but compared to them, I feel like a pauper. More importantly, though their faces are static, you can see through their eyes that the elder of the two is shocked at my presence, and more than a little confounded, while the younger one is quite livid. Based on the younger one's age, I'm guessing he's my roommate. Well, fuck me!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note**: Do not be alarmed by Inoichi and Minato having different last names, it will be explained. Oh yeah, I made a small edit in the last chapter. I thought it over, and Naruto seems more like a marketing guy versus a business guy.

**Chapter 2**

"I believe there has been a mistake," the elder stoic and pale finally states smoothly and assuredly. Even though he is clearly not from this country, his English is so crisp and perfect that I almost consider switching my minor to Western Languages. There is no reason that he should speak a language that I was born speaking better than me. Damn, maybe I should go with linguistics. Besides, Kiba needs no help on the technology front. Yeah, linguistics it is.

"I'll say," young stoic and pale tries to chime in in a scathing, deep voice; however, the effort is wasted because the level of Engrish that blasts out of his mouth almost makes me burst out laughing. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he had said, "I-er-ah say." I'm tempted to ask him to repeat it, because seriously, you usually can only find this type of shit on YouTube, but this mutual stare-fest is beginning to get on my nerves, and I got better things to do.

"Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, nice to meet you," I announce as I extend my hand to the elder stoic and pale. His eyes widen to the point where I have to reconsider his unofficial nickname, but he still doesn't take my hand. Hmm, maybe his name should be changed to Pale Asshat.

"Uzumaki-Namikaze? Nihongo wo hanasu?" He asks, and it's my turn for my eyes to widen. Of course, he hears a name like mine, and assumes I can speak his native tongue. Considering the extreme reaction I just got from him, I kind of feel bad that I have to let him down.

"Sorry, even though I'm mixed with Japanese, I don't speak the language," I inform as I nervously rub the back of my neck. I swear I hear a snort from somewhere, but the enraptured gaze that's burning through my face is doing a good job at keeping my attention. I sort of feel like I'm on trial and I'm willing to say anything to get those eyes to go elsewhere.

"I'm second generation," I blurt after a full 30 seconds of gawking. Apparently, that was the thing to say, because his seismic wave-inducing gaze releases me, and now I'm wondering what the hell just happened. All he gives me to go on is a low, "Ah," before turning to Accent Extreme, A.K.A stoic and pale number two.

"What are your origins?" Pale Asshat asks, and a pause extends beyond the point of conversational, and at this point is pregnant with twins. It takes more than a second to realize that the he's talking to me. Who in the hell turns their back to someone that they're speaking to without a good reason? I guess I'm just that unimportant to this guy. Whatever.

"My Granny Tsunade is half-Russian and half-Japanese; both of her parents were mixed. While she was visiting family in Kyoto, she met my Jii-Jii Jiraiya, who's mostly Japanese. My mom's maiden name is Uzumaki, but she was adopted by a Japanese couple as a baby. She's mostly Scottish and German. This makes me roughly 3/8 Japanese, ¼ Scottish, ¼ German, 1/8 Russian, and a trace amount of something else," I rattle off, and can't help but to smirk when he gives me an appraising look. Growing up in my family, you practically have to be a trained geneticist, or else you'll end up fucking one of your cousins, unknowingly, but he doesn't need to know that. He would probably keel over, if he knew that the couple who adopted my mother was actually my Granny's first cousin Hajime, and his wife, Kiko, from her maternal side, which opened the door for my dad to meet her. That's right; we keep it in the family over here! ^_~

"I see. What is your major?" Pale Asshat inquires, with just the slightest amount of interest. Considering that just a few seconds ago it appeared that I could have randomly combusted and not gotten a reaction out of him, I have to say that I'm doing pretty damn good. It's hard not to like a Namikaze.

"I'm going for a Bachelor of Arts in International Marketing, so that I can help globalize my Uncle's company, and…" I begin, but true to form, Pale Asshat rudely interrupts.

"Your Uncle's Company? What's the name of this company?" He asks without even having the decency of looking ashamed at his own rudeness. Is there some unwritten law that states that you can be an asshole as long as you have a certain amount of money? You certainly don't see beggars and hobos acting like this!

"Yamanaka Enterprise…" I begin, but stop as his eyes fully widen. Ah, I guess he heard of us.

"Excuse my manners; it's been a long flight. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Fugaku Uchiha, and this is my son Sasuke Uchiha," he says as he extends his hand. For a split second, I am tempted to not take it, but I was raised better than that, so, of course I take the damn thing.

The moment our hands touch, he passes along his business card. I quickly read over it, and see Uchiha Corporations emblazoned across the top. Ha, no wonder I'm finally worthy of knowing his name; his company holds a fucking monopoly on anything to do with biomedicine in Japan, because the Uchiha wisely focused on both biomedical law and research. Everyone in that family is either a lawyer, doctor or scientist, and they stay ahead of the game by shutting down all local competition.

Fortunately, they can't do that to us, because we have a patent on a new neuro-chip that is making waves, so he's probably trying to find a way to get a merger. He could get the Uchiha name over here, and stop us from competing in Japan at the same. He's clearly barking up the wrong tree, because it's not going to happen. This company was my Uncle's baby from its inception. He put himself through medical school to become a neurosurgeon, he put my dad through school to become a biomedical engineer, and now he's helping me pay for my degree. Yamanaka Enterprise is a family business, and it will stay a family business. We may be small now, but no overpaid jackass from Japan is going to weasel his way in, and piggyback off my family's hard work. Okay Asshat, game on.

"Sasuke, go and get your things. It appears that there hasn't been a mistake after all," Fugaku says nonchalantly as he quickly looks at his son. Before he can even turn back to me, Accent Extreme, I mean Sasuke, explodes.

"What? You can't be serious…" he starts and then quickly switches to Japanese. He's clearly pissed as shit, because his Japanese makes German sound like a romance language. I would be worried if there was anyone else besides Fugaku on the receiving end that, but as it stands, I feel like I'm watching a train wreck, or rather a massive pile of runny shit slowly approaching a fan.

"Urusai!" Fugaku yells, and immediately the room is quiet. Hell, I'm tempted to kick my heart's ass for beating too loudly; I don't want that guy's attention over here. Luckily, Fugaku's face is only for his son at the moment, and Sasuke's eyes are so frightened and wide that I actually feel bad for him.

Within seconds, Fugaku is standing in front of Sasuke speaking in low and angry Japanese. Whatever he's saying must be worse than anything I can imagine, because as the seconds tick on, Sasuke's face crumbles exponentially. Then, out of nowhere, I hear a surprised squeal, but I don't know what caused it. I didn't see Fugaku hit, kick or punch Sasuke, so what the fuck did he do? What the hell, did he pinch him or something?

Before I can come up with more questions or scenarios, Fugaku turns back to me, and I swear he looks no different than he did before Sasuke's outburst. It's like it never happened!

A grunt turns my attention to the door, and I see Sasuke struggling with a suitcase that looks like it houses a few people. I lift weights almost daily, and can't carry that, so I know that this slim dude is catching hell. It's clear that his father isn't going to help, so I try to make my way to the door.

"Naruto," Fugaku calls out and rests a hand on my shoulder before I can take more than three steps. I turn to look at him, and he actually has a small smile on his face.

"It had to be fate for our family's paths to cross this way. I hope that we can make the most of this meeting for years to come," he says conversationally, but I can't help but to look past him to see how Sasuke is managing. His face is almost the same stoic mask that he arrived with, but now his eyes are too dull, yet somehow too bright at the same time, and his eyelashes are slightly wet and a bit clumpy. He's clearly fighting back tears, but based on the little bit I've seen of his personality, he's going to go apeshit, if I go near him. So, begrudgingly, I look away.

"Thanks, and likewise," I say while flashing a forced grin at Fugaku. I almost forgot he was speaking to me, so I threw in the grin as a way to make my pause less awkward, and to cover up what I was really feeling. Just a short while ago I was worried about nudity and farting, but I would take that any day over this shit. My family has its drama, but we all love each other, and are close-knit. I don't think I can say the same about the Uchiha based on what I just saw.

"Well, I have to head out to the airport. Be sure to spend the rest of the day acquainting yourself with the campus, and the heads of the business department," Fugaku orders his son with a straight face, and isn't satisfied until he gets a swift nod from said son. Then, he turns back to me with a minuscule smile. Two-face, anyone?

"It's been a pleasure meeting you; I'll be in touch," he says casually, and then heads out, before shaking my hand a second time. Before the door can close completely, Sasuke throws a book at the wall, making me jump. He then shoulders past me, even though there is plenty of room.

"Stay out my way," he says threateningly, and commences to set up as though I'm not there. Pity or no pity, I'm about to give him a piece of my mind, but someone else walks in.

"I almost didn't believe Ino when she described your spread, hm. But, then again, you've always been a lucky bastard," Deidara announces with a grin from the doorway. I'm still staring angrily at Sasuke, but I may as well be invisible to him.

"Believe me, it has its downsides," I say with a frown, and immediately Dei's face becomes puzzled. He then looks past me at the Uchiha, before reality sets in.

"If you were old enough, I'd take you out for a drink, hm. Since that's not happening, let's get some grub," he says, and my growling stomach punctuates his statement. I frown and glare at it, which just causes Dei to laugh. Everyone knows how I feel about food in all of its shapes and forms, but sadly, I'm gonna have to take a rain check.

"I wish I could, but I have to be at orientation in 20 minutes, so there's no time to go anywhere besides a fast food joint, and that's not happening. It's not often that you pay, so I'm not gonna waste it on a damn Big Mac," I respond, and Dei bursts out laughing. I can't help but to smile as well, because his good mood is infectious. That's instantly smashed to hell the minute I hear Sasuke shuffling around behind me.

"Besides, I still have things to take of here," I add with my newly reformed frown, which causes Dei to close his eyes and shake his head.

"Everybody should be done with class by 5:30pm, so we can all meet up then," he starts, and I nod in agreement.

"Don't get into any trouble before then. I'm not bailing you out, hm," he adds as he heads out. Shit, he knows me too well. Oh well, it has to be done. So, on that note, I close the door, and swiftly approach my roommate as he's hanging up his clothes. He doesn't acknowledge me until I invade his personal bubble, which only pisses me off further.

"Look, I don't care if you don't like me. I don't care if you don't ever speak to me. But, if we're going to live together, you're going to respect me," I angrily declare. He just looks at me like I'm a piece of shit on the bottom of his shoe.

"And who the fuck are you demanding my respect? You're nobody. Respect is earned," he says, and before I know it, I'm practically nose-to-nose with the guy.

"Yeah, respect is earned, but so is disrespect you asshole, and I haven't done a damn thing to you! But, keep pushing your luck, and I will be glad to change that," I growl out, and I have to wiggle my fingers to stop them from forming a fist. Depending on what he says next, I may have to hit him, and I think an open-handed hit will get me in less trouble than a full-out punch will.

Looking at his eyes, I can see that he wants nothing more than to fight me, and my body is practically pulsating with the anticipation of a good scrap. But, apparently, he has better control than I have, because after a few tense seconds, he calms himself down, and goes back to putting his clothes away.

"Whateber, you're not worth my time," he says coolly, and my mind stumbles over his mispronunciation. That stumble buys enough time for me to cool off a bit more, so now I'm finally able to move away. But, I can't help, but to throw one last jab, before I head out.

"They could have at least given me a roommate that speaks fucking English properly," I mumble loud enough for him to hear. As I bend the exit, I hear him pause, before going back to his task. Finally, a reaction! I smirk as I mentally pat my back over a job well done, but somewhere deep inside; I can't help but to feel a bit bad for saying it. Whatever, I can't be bothered with this right now. I have ten minutes to get to my orientation that's on the other side of campus, which is a 15-minute power walk away. Shit, I guess I had better run.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I'm thrilled to be doing _any_ writing considering how busy I am right now, but I'm still having a terrible time building my enthusiasm for this piece. I guess it has a lot to do with me naturally having less motivation and creativity for my fanfiction than when I'm working on something original. Hopefully, the more I work on this story, the more inspired I will become. ^_^

**Chapter 3**

Whew, I made it with just a minute to spare, but now I'm hoping that no one notices the huge pit stains under my arms. I'm sure my back is sweaty too, because I'm feeling the breeze a little too intensely. Shit, there goes my plan for making a good first impression, and it's all that Sasuke bastard's fault. Now I look like a fat person on a treadmill, and I can't figure out which room 102 I should go in. Sure, the freshmen newsletter said Fletcher Hall room 102, but it didn't say a damn thing about there being a 102A, 102B, 102C and a 102D. What ever happened to just naming rooms in numerical order; you know, 102, 103, 104? I bet they did this shit just to get a kick out of confusing the newbies!

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be searching for the freshmen orientation, are you?" A baritone voice stops my mental rendition of eeny meeny miney moe, and I turn around hoping I don't look too desperate for help. I pride myself on having a great sense of direction, but East Meadowbrook University is doing its best of stripping me of my masculinity. I might have to resort to using that plastic, colorful pop-up map they left in our grab bags after all.

"Yeah, I am, but I can't decide which room it's in, and I don't want to interrupt somebody's class," I say as I look the guy over. I was hoping that another freshman was lost so that I wouldn't be the only one showing up late, but this guy looks like he's around my dad's age. However, I don't think he's a professor or anything, because his appearance is scruffy as hell with that huge beard and headband stopping his hair from falling into his face. The khakis, flannel and sneakers don't help. Hmm, maybe he's a janitor.

"Kid, you're not even in the right place. Come on, I'm heading over there right now," the guy says, and then walks out without another word. I jog to catch up to him, and the minute I get within 10 feet, I am blasted with the fragrance of cigarettes in their various forms of freshness. Just how much does this dude smoke? Hell, if I wanted a cigarette, I bet I could just roll him up and smoke him.

"This is us," the man interrupts my nicotine trip. I look up and realize that we have walked almost half way down the hall, and are now standing in front of the elusive room 102. What the fuck? If this is room 102, what in the hell were all of the rooms I was just looking at?

"That's why I always make sure to swing by the conference rooms before heading down here. If not, there would be a gang of confused freshmen hanging out and looking lost," the man says as though reading my mind, before laughing at his own joke. I'm already irritated at the stupid layout of this building, kicking him in the shin is tempting. But, since he did show me where to go, and has me by about 6 inches and 35-40 pounds, I just brush it off with a growl. At least I'm not a 40-year-old janitor.

Apparently, considering how the place is full and everybody is calmly sitting down, I'm the only one that had trouble finding this place. Well screw them, I bet they all cheated; they had family members tell them what to do, the assholes. Whatever, I'm here now, so let's get this over with.

"Alright, listen up newbies. My name is Asuma Sarutobi, and I'm the undergraduate coordinator for the freshmen and sophomores," the man that I thought was a janitor announces from the front of the auditorium. I look around to see if anybody is sharing my shock, but everybody else is blank faced and staring forward like little drones.

'Okay, that's just fucking creepy,' I think, before turning back around. One thing's for sure, I'm glad I didn't kick him!

"For the next two years you're stuck with me, and if you're still around after that, you get to meet Shizune, the undergraduate coordinator for juniors and seniors. She's a lot nicer and sexier than me, but more importantly, she's more patient," Asuma says, and then takes a pause. From the looks on everybody's faces, they wish they had Shizune now, me included.

"After dealing with last year's bunch, we made a lot of changes around here. One, all freshmen have been segregated from the upper level students to make it easier to keep an eye on you; this includes residence halls, study lounges and classes. The others started classes after Labor Day on September 7, but you will not start until next Monday on the 20th. You don't need to worry about being behind in your work, because special freshmen sections of all 100 and 200 level classes were created just for you. If you try to enroll in a section that's not open for freshmen, you will be denied. Two, there is now a campus wide curfew. If you are not inside your residence hall by midnight, stay where you are, sleep in your car, sleep outside, I don't care; you will not be permitted to enter the dormitory. Three, if you are caught with any candles, hotplates, incents, or anything that burns inside your rooms, you will be kicked out of the dorms without a refund, and without an option to appeal. The same goes for if you have any unauthorized parties. Four, if you are caught cheating or manipulating your grades in any form; you will receive straight zeros for that semester. Five, if you are under the age of 21 and are caught drunk off your ass, I will personally take you to the police station to make sure that you get a citation," Asuma concludes, and you can practically hear a pin drop in the room. Everyone has some look of shock, horror or confusion, and somehow I think I got tricked into coming to boot camp. I should have known there was something wrong with a college that accepts a guy with 2.71 GPA and an ACT score of 19 without batting a lash. Shit!

"Alright, if you have any questions, direct them to your advisors. Only, and I mean only, after you have spoken to them do you contact me. Welcome to East Meadowbrook University," Asuma says, and then promptly leaves. We all sit here waiting for the joke, but that's literally the end of the orientation. What the fuck?

"Okay, now that you're all finished here, you can go over to the Welcome Center and meet with your advisors. He or she will help you work out a tentative program of study, and then you will be able to enroll for classes. Feel free to leave at any time," a young woman wearing classes and a messy ponytail quickly and nervously instructs, and no sooner than she finishes speaking, I am out the door. This has turned into hell day, and I just want it to be over.

Somehow, I make it over before everyone else does, and I'm quickly trying to find my advisor so that I can get the first meeting. In my quest to find him or her, I run smack into a young dude with a ponytail, knocking him down.

"Shit, I'm sorry, man. Let me give you a hand," I apologize as I help the guy up. He doesn't seem any worse for wear, and doesn't look too pissed, so I turn to start my search again. But, on second thought, he might be able to point me in the right direction.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know who's the advisor for marketing majors, would you?" I ask while looking over my shoulder and the guy just smiles after dusting himself off.

"That would be me, Dr. Iruka Umino," he informs while extending his hand. I state my name and take his appendage subconsciously, but my brain is still trying to process how and why I keep meeting all of these important people in the worst of ways. To hell with making a good first impression, I just hope that they don't hate me.

"It seems that you're the first person here. I value punctuality and tenacity," Iruka says while giving my hand a firm shake, and I instantly feel a bit better. He doesn't need to know that the only reason I'm here so early is that I want to hang out with my friends and eat.

"Aright Naruto, let me take a look at your file, and then we will go from there," Iruka states after we enter a cubicle that I'm assuming is his makeshift office for the freshmen meetings. His face is entirely too expressive, and it's taking everything in me not to peer over the manila folder to see what he's reading. There's some interesting stuff in that file, and I need to know just how much dirt he has on me so that I can talk my way out of this.

"Okay, I've looked over your transcripts, test scores, admission application and personal letters, and see that you've had some trouble in the past; however, you worked really hard your last three semesters of high school, so I'm sure that you'll do fine. But, to err on the side of caution, I suggest that you only take 12 credits this semester so that you're not overwhelmed. It is our goal that every student we admit is successful here. From your personal letter, I see that you're quite passionate about marketing, but you'll be surprised how many students come here dead set on one major, but wind up switching it to another. So, I'm going to recommend you to take ENG 101 – Introductory English I, SPH 101 – Fundamentals of Speech, POLS 101 –U.S. Government, and based on your placement test, MATH 100 – Pre-Algebra. You will need these classes with any major you choose to take, so you can be sure you're not wasting your time. Just head over to the main desk, and a student aid will help you to register," Iruka rattles off, before dismissing me, and I'm not quite sure what's going on. He picks up on it by the look on my face, and starts speaking again.

"Sorry about the brevity of this meeting, but this is just to get you started. Within a few short hours, I have to see hundreds of kids. But, if you need to speak with me, just send me an email at , and then we can set up a more formal meeting," he says, and the floor seems to reappear under my feet. I nod at his smile, and then walk out to find this student aid. Sadly, the masses have caught up, and there is a line with about 100 students in front of me. I check my watch to see that it is already five o'clock, so I take a number, and decide to take a nap.

"_Ding_, now serving number 127," my fuddled mind hears, but I don't react until it's repeated by a human voice. I jump up, and almost fall out of my chair, as I head over to… a guy … wearing a trench coat and glasses. Okay, what is really going on? Is he a leper or something?

"Sign in, and enter your pin," he says while keeping as much distance from me as possible. I know that I'm not musty, so maybe it's him that's not sure.

"First, click on the student tab, then registration, followed by the subject code and course number of the class you're trying to enter," he drones on, and I'm trying to see if he has any screws or bolts on his neck. In the technology era, you can never be too sure if somebody's a robot or not.

"Now, if you look at the section numbers, you'll notice that some have letters while others have numbers; the sections with the letters are for freshmen. Check the box of the section you want, and then click 'add to schedule'," he states, and for some reason, I spontaneously sneeze. Within seconds, he is on the other side of the room, losing his glasses in his haste. We stare at each other for a few moments, and after seeing his eyes grow so wide that he resembles a bug, I realize that he's a germaphobe. Ha, I could have fun with this! Then again, that guy may be having a shittier day than me for all I know. I guess I could cut him some slack.

"Thanks for your help; I got it from here," I say with a grin, but he just nods numbly. Damn, he's got it bad. Okay, let's see here. I look through the list, and quickly sign up for POLS 101 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30-12:10pm, ENG 101 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30-12:10 pm, and SPH 101 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:20-2:00pm. Now all I have to do is get into a math class, and I can go. Hopefully, I can keep my Fridays open.

"No fucking way!" I shout and all heads turn towards me. I mumble a quick apology, and then just stare at the last MATH 100 section available. It's fucking Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 to 9:10am. Did I like piss somebody off and get cursed or something? Fuck!

Whatever, Deidara's buying me food, and the gang's waiting. Speaking of which, let me see if I have any text messages.

"_We're at Amiche's Italian restaurant on the corner of Ann and Duck's Crossing. We're at the back."_

_-Shikamaru_

"_Hurry the fuck up, dude; I'm starving!"_

_-Kiba_

"_Naruto, bring your ass on. We're all waiting for YOU!"_

_-Sakura_

"_Hurry up, before Sakura embarrasses us all by eating all of the complimentary breath mints._

_-Ino_

"_For every minute you're not here after 6:30, I'm taking a dollar off your tab."_

_-Deidara_

I quickly glance at the time, and see that it's ten after six, and my car is still in the parking lot by my dorm. Shit! Deidara does not play about being on time, and that bastard will totally make me pay a portion of my tab, if I'm not there by 6:30pm. I swear I'm getting ass raped today, with no condom or lubrication. When will it end?

**Author's Note 2:** There is one more chapter that will mark the conclusion of Naruto's first day at college. After that, things should move much more quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

**PLEASE READ!**

**Author's Note:** Okay, now that you've had the opportunity to read three chapters of this story, I am requesting your opinion, a poll if you will. I have already decided that my novel will be in first person, because it personalizes my main character, and helps the story flow better, so that's not going to change, nor is it the issue. What I'm interested in knowing is which style of first person you prefer, the standard first person past tense found in novels like the Anita Blake series and the Twilight Saga, or the style that I am using in this story, which is first person present tense; the narrator is living the story as you are reading it. Please give me your honest opinion, because I really would like to have _some_ idea of what the general populace enjoys. If you want to comment on more than that, fantastic, but what's most important is that you comment on the structure and style of narration. Thanks in advance for any feedback that you leave!

**Chapter 4**

I can't believe that I made it here in just 24 minutes. I'm quite sure that I parked in two parking spots, maybe even three, but who cares. There's free food on the line.

"Hi, I'm supposed to be meeting some friends here. I believe that they're sitting in the back," I say as politely and as cordially as I can. The host, who's a balding, painfully thin, middle-aged man takes one look at my appearance, and then turns his nose up, before walking towards the back of the restaurant without saying a word. Am I supposed to just stand here, or did he want me to follow? Maybe he's going to confirm that I actually know somebody in his precious restaurant. Well, fuck him! I know that I'm not looking my best right now, but at least I have all of my hair. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze let's no one put him on the back burner on any day; I'm seating myself.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I greet as I walk past the stuttering baldy, and grab a chair. Before my ass can even hit the seat, Kiba and Sakura are yelling at the top of their lungs about starvation, inconsiderateness, and ass kicking, while Deidara is just holding up his iPhone that's currently in stopwatch mode.

"It's exactly 5 minutes and 52 seconds past 6:30pm. You owe me $5.87, hm," he says while holding out his hand. Even though I was expecting it, I quickly scramble in panic for an excuse.

"It's all that bald bastard's fault. I was here ages ago, but he wouldn't let me come back here. You're the one that picked a restaurant with shoddy service. If anything, you should be paying me," I yell while wildly gesturing at the retreating host's back. I see him pause and tremble in anger, but my main concern is getting out of paying Deidara. Besides, it's not like I'm telling a total lie.

"Cut your bullshit, Naruto. If you had gotten here 36, now 37 minutes ago like the rest of us, you wouldn't have had to deal with that. $5.87," he aims and shoots me down coolly, and the only thing that's betraying his calmness is the slight glare he's giving. Fuck it, I give up and give him the stupid cash, because my stomach is trying to eat itself, and Sakura looks downright monstrous at this point. I'll like to keep my balls in tact a little longer.

"I see that your sixth party has finally arrived. What can I get for you, sir?" A very pretty and shapely waitress asks, and Kiba is practically slobbering all over the table. Her nametag says Jeannie. I quickly look over the menu, and eye several items, before turning back around.

"I'll have the Bistecca alla Fiorentina with penne pasta and arrabbiata sauce. Oh, I'll also like to try the cazzilli and the bruschetta. Oh yeah, a side garden salad would be good, too; I gotta eat my veggies. Oh oh, bring out an order of zeppoli, too. I like to have my dessert on hand so that I can hurry up and make it fit," I say to the now wide-eyed waitress who just scribbles and nods. She then quickly heads through the red double doors behind us, and I look after her. However, I finally realize that something is just not right. I can feel the heat on the back of my neck like a laser beam, and considering my present company, I somehow royally fucked up just now.

"Naruto, you jackass! We ordered almost a half of an hour ago, and then you come in here and order all of that shit! Now, we're going to have to wait even longer," I feel more so than hear Sakura shout. The second I turn around, I'm hit with a large, pink, rhinestone-studded handbag, and Kiba is standing and yelling something about taking it outside, while I'm just trying to stop my head from spinning.

"You two might as well calm down, because beating the shit out of him is not going to make our food come any faster. Besides, we've waited all of this time, and no one has keeled over; I doubt 20 more minutes will change that," Shikamaru states with boredom. I can practically see the debate taking place on Kiba and Sakura's face, to beat ass or not to beat ass. Finally, after shooting me twin glares, hell duo release me.

"Next time show up on time, idiot," Sakura throws in with a pout as she sits down, and I can't help but to smile.

"Yeah, but you love this idiot," I say out of habit, causing her to blush and look away. It's hard to believe it's been 10 months since we called it quits. I pined over her ever since she became Ino's best friend in second grade, and finally after chasing her for nine years, I got to call her my girlfriend, and even lost my virginity to her. But, even though we got along great, and lasted almost two years, I knew that we were better off as friends, and told her as much. I didn't want her settling for me just because I treated her nice and was convenient. I don't doubt that she loved me, but sometimes you just get the feeling that you're holding somebody back, and I would rather kill myself than do that to Sakura. Admitting that I wasn't the one to her, and to myself, was by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do, especially when she started crying. But, seeing the chemistry between her and Shikamaru makes me glad that I was able to man up, even they're both too stubborn to pull their heads out of their asses and see it.

It's no secret that Sakura's a know-it-all, and can make you feel like the dumbest motherfucker alive. But, Shikamaru doesn't have to worry about that, because he's the only one I know that's actually smarter than she is. His laid-back attitude also balances out her anger, whereas I seem to bring it out more. More importantly, I noticed them checking each other out and spending more time together a few months ago even though they both adamantly say it's all in my head. Whatever, I know attraction when I see it, and I've told them countless times that I'm cool with it, so it's up to them if they want to make it happen.

"Deidara tells me you have the roommate from hell," Kiba turns to me and states now that he's finally deemed me worthy of his attention. I can feel the frown and grimace on my face just thinking about Sasuke; luckily, Dei cuts in.

"That dipshit is the reason my wallet is being emptied as we speak, so I'll rather not discuss him. How was the orientation?" He asks, and my frown is immediately highlighted by a full-blown growl.

"It was pure ass! That Asuma bastard had a rule for every damn thing. You can't drink, you can't party, you can't stay out late; hell, I was waiting for him to tell me that I can't breathe!" I vent, and everyone is silent, deathly silent. Kiba has a look of pleasured awe and amazement, Ino looks like the cat that ate the canary, Sakura is purposely not meeting my gaze, Shika looks annoyed, and Dei has the Mona Lisa smirk. Alright, what the hell is going on?

"Spill it," I say as I slowly look at each one of my friends. Somehow, I know that my current state of hell is their doing, but they're taking forever to admit it.

"I can't believe he did it. That crazy bastard actually followed through with all of his threats," Kiba finally says as he tries to hide a laugh behind a cough. Ino's grin is practically splitting her face now.

"Of course he did, we gave that man hell! I once caught him smoking two cigarettes at the same time," she laughs, before Shika adds his two cents.

"You should have seen him when Kiba set our dorm room on fire," he says, and I quickly cut in before I get any more confused, or somebody else starts talking.

"Whoa, whoa, what?" I ask, and the whole table erupts. Shika is the first one to settle down, so he quickly fills me in.

"Somehow, this moron scorched over 60 percent of our room trying to boil water on a hotplate for cup ramen," he informs, and for a few seconds, I can only gawk at Kiba in amusement.

"Why the hell didn't you use the microwave?" I ask, but Shikamaru doesn't let him answer.

"He claims that it doesn't taste the same."

At this, the table erupts again, and half of the restaurant is now staring at us. I can barely speak I'm laughing so hard.

"Dude, it's fucking boiled water; what do you mean it doesn't taste the same? How the hell do you screw up cup ramen? I've been making that shit since I was three!" I finally manage to get out, and everyone laughs harder. Kiba is sputtering in his defense, but he's just digging a bigger whole for himself. It's hard to believe that he's a computer programming genius.

While everyone else was growing up on Gameboy and Sony PlayStation, Kiba was hooking us up with games that he had created himself. All you had to do was give him the idea, and within a few months, there'd be a game tailored to whatever you had asked for. If you wanted Call of Duty meets Halo, Mario style, no problem. We didn't think anything was strange about this until he hacked into his dead-beat dad's savings account, and re-wired it into his mom's checking.

Funnily, he originally had no desire to be a programmer. He wanted to be a vet like his older sister, but his grades were only slightly better than mine, so almost every vet school in the country turned him down. Luckily, my uncle and I were able to talk him into going to college to get professional training in programming. He only agreed after he was guaranteed a job. But, after hearing about the incident with the ramen, I wonder if we're in over our heads.

"Fuck all of you guys!" Kiba shouts, before rounding onto Sakura.

"At least I didn't get so drunk that I didn't realize I was stark naked and hitting on Asuma!"

Instantly, the entire table is wide-eyed and silent, waiting to see how Sakura reacts. This can go very bad, very fast, and I'm especially interest in this explanation.

"Oh, shut up. I was depressed over breaking up with my boyfriend. Besides, it's Deidara's fault for supplying all of that alcohol to a bunch of minors," she replies, and I can't help but to flinch when she mentions the cause of the escapade. Everyone else just lets out a collective sigh, but Dei isn't one to let anyone place blame on him.

"Don't fault me, because you can't hold your liquor. Everyone has free will, and technically, I didn't supply you with anything, my connections did, hm. I was still a minor myself," he defends, and then slyly takes a long glance at Ino, before smirking at Sakura.

"If I remember correctly, the princess requested it for her party," he adds, and Ino's laughter dies in her throat.

"Deidara! Some brother you are, throwing me under the bus to get the heat off yourself. I'm not taking the blame for that. That party was strictly to celebrate Kiba hooking everybody up with straight As," she responds, while turning her nose up. Once again, all eyes are on Kiba, but this time he doesn't look the least bit ashamed.

"That bitch Dr. Patterson had it coming. I was one point, one fucking point away from getting a B-, and she wouldn't let me slide. So, I was just going to bump up my C+, but then I remembered how she rode me all semester, and gave myself an A. I liked how good it looked, so I changed the rest of them, too. I only gave these bastards the hookup so that they wouldn't snitch," he says with his arms folded, daring anyone to say he was wrong. I was going to let it go, but something is not adding up.

"Wait a minute; if there is a rule about cheating, you had to have been caught, right?" I ask, and Kiba just grumbles a sour yeah.

"He only got caught, because he gave Dr. Patterson the finger in the hallway the following semester. That prompted her to recheck his grades to make sure she didn't give him any leniency. Needless to say he got reported, and the only reason he didn't get kicked out was because he agreed to change everyone's grades back to normal, and to work for free in the school's IT security office for the rest of the time that he's here," Shikamaru expands for him. Several servers carrying plates upon plates to our table ends the conversation. For almost half of an hour all I hear is silverware clinging against porcelain.

"Would anyone like to order dessert?" Jeannie asks and I almost throw-up at the thought of more food. Looking around the table, almost everyone seems to be on the verge of belching up half chewed food, but Ino seems game.

"Actually, could you bring me a piece of tiramisu, please?" She orders, and Jeannie flashes a smile before walking off again. I look around and see that no one appears to be in a rush to leave, so Ino should be able to take her time. But, then again, Sakura has that look in her eye, and judging by how all of the guys magically wound up on the same side of the table as me, they noticed it, too.

"Hey pig, you might want to lay off the dessert, considering those seven pounds you gained last year. You wouldn't want to get fat now, would you?" Sakura asks while poking Ino in the stomach. Ino is quick to shield her midsection, but she is not shielding her anger.

"Oh, fuck off, Sakura! You've gained weight, too. It just isn't as noticeable, because it all went to your damn forehead," she says while poking said forehead. Sakura nods at her jab approvingly, before following with one of her own.

"Okay, Ino, okay. My forehead may be large, but at least I didn't go up a whole jean size," she declares, and it must have stung, because Ino's only response is her eyes widening. Once I see her tugging at the sides of her shirt uncomfortably, I decide that it's time to put their verbal spar to rest, but Dei beats me to it.

"Don't let her get to you, sis; she's just jealous. Even if you gain seventy pounds, you'll still be beautiful, because of who you're related to. You know how we Yamanaka do," he says, and then winks which causes Ino to giggle. Sakura just sticks out her tongue at Dei, which causes her and Ino to burst out laughing. They have a brutal, semi-volatile friendship, but they love each other dearly. They just have a hell of a way of showing it.

"Here's your tiramisu, mam," Jeannie says as she hands Ino the small plate. Without saying a word, she places our individual tabs in front of us, and then heads over to another table. I look at the little white slip, and my eyes feel burnt when they see that my meal is almost fifty dollars. I quickly pass it to Deidara; that's his wallet's problem, not mine. Gama is full, I'm full; maybe this day won't end so badly after all.

"You know, I don't really want to go home and go to sleep on a full stomach. Let's go to that new club on Crabtree Avenue by S 21st Street," Sakura suggests after eating half of Ino's tiramisu. Everybody is smiling and nodding, but I'm just pissed off.

"Aww, no fair! You guys know that I'm not old enough to get in, and I'll be damned if I have to put up with Sasuke bastard while you guys club," I state, but no one seems moved. Damn.

"Shika and I went through the same thing last year, but don't worry. Your 18th birthday will be here in a few weeks, and we'll take you to all of the hot spots," Ino says dismissively, and then goes back to planning the rest of their night. It's times like these that I'm forced to realize that these are Ino's friends. Yeah, we're all really close, but they went to school together. I was just her little brother that always tagged along. It doesn't help that my birthday is so late in the year. Damn, I guess I will be hanging with Sasuke.

"So, you never did tell us about that roommate of yours. Is he cute?" Ino asks about the current subject of my thoughts. I saw the put out look she had when Dei changed the subject earlier, so I know that there is no escaping it now.

"Why the hell are you asking me if he's cute? How the fuck would I know? I wasn't checking him out. All I can tell you is that the guy's a douche, and so is his father. First they acted as though I wasn't worthy of breathing the same air as them, then I mentioned Uncle Inoichi's company, and the dad started acting like I was his adopted son. Then, I don't know what the fuck happened, but it wasn't pretty. I've never seen a dad treat his son like that in real life, made me feel bad for the bastard. But, whatever, he's decided that he hates my guts, and I'm not too fond of him either," I rattle off, and everyone looks a little disturbed, except for Shika. He just has a look of contemplation.

"I'm glad my parents decided to move here," he finally says after several minutes. That draws everyone's attention, because Shika is the only one of us that's completely Japanese. He spent all of his elementary years in Japan, not having moved to America until the seventh grade.

"Over here, you're encouraged to be yourself, to be an individual. However, back there it's all about being one part of the whole. If you don't conform, you're ostracized for it. Your parents, peers and all of society decide what's best for you, and the more money you're born into, the less choice you have in the matter. You just do what you're told until you have kids of your own. Then, you can dictate their lives, and live vicariously through them, perpetuating the cycle. No, I am glad that I was not born an Uchiha. I do not envy Uchiha Sasuke at all," he concludes, and I cannot tell whether he was talking to us, or just thinking aloud.

When Shika first moved here, he was extremely withdrawn. He would often hang out by himself watching clouds without talking to anybody. Ino and I kept pestering him until finally he started opening up to us. Over time, we learned that he was just as much of a genius here as he was in Japan, but his poor work ethic didn't sit well with the Japanese. He would seemingly get the top score without even trying, and it pissed all of the other kids off, so they made him an outcast. He didn't play any sports, and wasn't a part of any clubs, so he was a waste of genetics in their opinion. They didn't care that he spoke five languages, fluently, and was a brilliant strategist. He didn't fit their mold, so he suffered for it.

Well, I'm glad that they didn't want him, because now we have him. For the past three years, he has been pretty much a jack-of-all-trades for Yamanaka Enterprise, and more importantly, he has been one of my closest friends for the last seven years. Therefore, they can put that in their pipes and smoke it. Now, I see why Sasuke is such a jackass.

"Let's get out of here. You guys have clubbing to do, and I have a bastard to deal with," I say, breaking everyone out of their trance. My thoughts are still elsewhere, but seeing two white slips on my windshield wiper puts an end to that.

"Son of a bitch!" I yell as I realize I was ticketed twice, one for taking up two parking spaces, and one for parking in a handicap space. I look at the lines, and sure enough, the left lines are blue, while the right lines are yellow. A quick glance shows that I owe 75 dollars. I guess I didn't get a free meal after all. Fuck it, I'm tired, and am ready to relax. I'll think about this shit tomorrow.

'Why is it so dark in there? Maybe he's gone,' I think as I look at my dorm window from outside. I don't really care either way at this point, so I just concern myself with getting everything important out of my car, and heading inside.

"Uhnnn," I hear the minute I turn the light on. Of course, my eyes follow the sound, and I see Sasuke sleeping in his bed with a slight frown on his face. Then, like magic, it's gone, and he's out cold. But, now I can't stop staring at him. He looks so young. I mean really young, like 12-years-old young. If I hadn't have met him earlier, I would have sworn that he was my roommate's little brother or something. It doesn't help that he's sleeping under a velour, baby blue blanket with fringes on it. It seems as though he tried to hide it under a darker, navy blue quilt, but him moving around exposed it.

Damn, I can't really rag on him for it, because I still sleep with my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle nightlight. So, I quickly turn off the light, strip down to my boxers, and then plug in Mike. It's been a long day, and I need to be fresh and ready to deal with the bastardly bright and early in the morning. It's only been a day, and classes don't start until next Monday. Something tells me I have a hell of a week ahead of me.

**Author's Note 2: **Unlike original works where you can take as long as you want to develop a character, because no one has any expectations of them, your take on the characters in fanfiction need to be done immediately so that everyone is one the same page. That's why I decided to slow Naruto's first day of college down to a snail's pace. Now, things are about to be moving. You've been warned!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** First, I apologize for the wait. As a college student, my free time is limited. Second, thank you, everyone that has left feedback; it is greatly appreciated. Reviews, at minimum, show that someone is reading. Hits only tell me that someone clicked on my story. For all I know, people could be reading the first paragraph of chapter one, and then closing their browsers.

**Chapter 5**

After being dragged through hell and back ten times over on my first day here, I'm kind of surprised at how fast the rest of the week went by. I think it's mostly because it was pretty dull with everybody I know being busy with either class, work or both. It's still strange not having Chouji around, but I can't fault the guy for going to a culinary arts school when he had been planning to be a chef since the fifth grade. Besides, I was too ecstatic about how scarce Sasuke had been making himself to properly feel any sadness. Somehow, he managed to find the small group of international students even though they only make up about two percent of the student body. Considering East Meadowbrook University has less than 2,000 students, I'm kind of impressed. I swear that guy could find the intact remains of Jesus Christ with his determination and natural tracking ability.

Ha, speaking of tracking ability, I saw him smirking and sizing up Mike this past Saturday morning, even though I had him plugged up by the head of the top bunk. I guess the little green glow is kind of eye-catching, and of course, it had to be Sasuke's eye that was caught. I just knew he was going to give me shit, so I shot a glance at his baby blue blankie, and just like that, his unborn taunt was aborted. That's one of the unofficial man laws, you know; if two men know embarrassing shit about each other, then they are obligated to forever bury that piece of evidence, even if new embarrassing shit surfaces. If you break the man laws, then you are a vagina, and will be forever shunned from all manly perks and activities. I've seen it happen to a few dudes and it is not pretty.

But, enough about that. I don't even want to think about that shit when I'm already mildly pissed off about how this day has gone so far. You see, it started this morning when Sasuke's alarm went off at fucking six am. I know for a fact that no class starts before eight, so there was no reason for him or me to be woken up at the ass crack of dawn. At the time, I was so sleepy that I didn't know what was going on, so I turned my alarm off on reflex. Two hours later, I wake up, he's gone, my class is starting, and I'm still in boxers. Somehow, I managed to get to class by 8:20 am, but it was already empty. Apparently, the professor handed out the syllabus and then left, so I spent the next half hour trying to find her office only to find it and see an "out to lunch" sign. Luckily for me, the secretary felt bad, and printed me off a copy.

There wasn't enough time before my second class to go back to my dorm and take a nap, so I went to the welcome center and ate a hard ass bagel with a sour glass of orange juice. You would think my meal plan would have covered it, but nope, _"The campus convenience store is a separate entity from the campus cafeteria. Your order comes to $5.04."_ What the fuck? I could have gone to Denny's for that price!

Anyway, I made it to my second class only for the **professor **to be 20 minutes late. He then offered no apology or explanation, just quickly passed out the syllabus, assigned a three-page paper, and then walked the fuck back out. This left a solid hour before my third class, and I was exhausted. No way could I have gone to sleep, and then woken up on time. So, now, I was _hoping_ that the prof only gave out the syllabus and then left.

Ha, that bastard passed out the syllabus, lectured, made us introduce ourselves, held discussion _and_ assigned some homework. He went over by almost ten minutes. If it weren't for students for the next class walking in, he would have kept going! Hell, it took almost five minutes after we left for me to get him to stop following me and talking about how my sister and Deidara were some of his best students.

Now, it's 2:30 in the afternoon, I'm starving and tired, but can't do anything about it, because I have to talk to housing about the price of my dorm room. My uncle may have a little money from his company, but that's him, not me. I didn't ask for all of those amenities, and I don't like the bastard that comes with them. Somebody is going to tell me something, today.

"Hello, may I help you?" The receptionist asks, dryly, and I immediately school my face to look as pissed off as hers does. She may be having a shitty day, too, but at least she is getting paid for hers.

"Yeah, I was assigned to room 106 in Madison Hall, and I think there has been a mistake…" I begin, and she cuts me off, further raising my level of pisstivity.

"If you are unhappy with your roommate, you must first go through mediation with your roommate and your resident assistant. This will be followed by a trial period and further mediation. If the conflict still cannot be resolved, then, and only then, will you be allowed to submit a change of residence form. From there, you will be placed into our matching system, which will be followed by a meet and greet, an interview, and then another trial period. The total process usually takes 4-6 weeks," she rattles off, and then unofficially dismisses me by turning back to her computer.

Therefore, not only am I pissed about being cut off, not getting my question answered, and being ignored, I now realize that I practically have to kill Sasuke to get rid of him. Hell, people go through less than all of the shit she just named to get a divorce!

"That's all useful information, but you didn't answer my question at all," I state, and _finally_ I seem to have her attention.

"When I signed up, I requested the cheapest residence hall, but what I got was anything, but that. The place is super decked out, and I need to know how much this is all going to run me," I add, and voila, she's acting all professional, asking for my student number, and quickly punching it into her computer. Whatever she sees must be interesting, because now she's clicking and typing faster than I can follow.

"I see that you were assigned to Madison Hall, and are rooming with Mr. Sasuke Uchiha, which has been approved by the elder Uchiha. What seems to be the problem?" she finally asks, while looking at me like I'm the one that's stupid. Did I not just ask for a price? And, who in the hell needs to be officially approved to room with someone?

"Um, besides everything that you just said, the price," I respond, and can't keep the bewildered look off my face. In a minute, I'm going to ask for somebody else. I don't want to accidentally kill the few brain cells that she _does_ have working.

"Ah, I see no one has informed you," she says, and I continue to look straight ahead. The least I can do is control my face, because controlling my brain is hopeless.

'_You don't say, you stupid bitch!'_

"That particular room was purchased and remodeled by Mr. Fugaku Uchiha over the summer. It was agreed upon that rent would be collected by the school, and then transferred to Mr. Uchiha. However, there is a note on your account stating that the standard boarding fees are to be waived, which is why $2816 has been refunded to your checking account. You should see it within 3-5 business days, if it isn't there already," she continues, and then finally cracks a smile. I don't know whether to be happy for the extra cash, or insulted that this foreign dude is seriously trying to buy me, so I just stay with old faithful, confusion.

"Right, um thanks, I guess," I mumble and then wander out of the office. I have to think on this a bit more, because all of this is weird as hell, and it's getting out of hand.

"Here," I say as I hold out the envelope to Sasuke, who is leaning back in his desk chair, balancing it on its two rear legs. He glances at my hand, and then leans back even further. For the longest time, he just stares at me, which all at once annoys me and strengthens my resolve.

"What the fuck is that?" he asks coolly, and I swear handing over nearly $3000 dollars has never felt this good. So, with a hardened smile, I push the white slip of folded paper into his palm.

"This is $2816, exactly. Tell your dad, thanks, but no thanks. I don't need any handouts," I inform casually. Within less than a second, Sasuke's eyes widen, narrow, and then return to normal, before he dismissively backhands the envelope out of my hand, sending my cash flying through the air all around us.

"Telru him yourself. Thas his affair," he replies, and then turns back to his laptop. All I can do is stand and stare in shock. But, as I watch each bill hit the floor, I can feel my blood pressure steadily rising, which is rapidly bringing me back to life. I can practically feel his blood on my hands, and it has only been seven days. There is no way I'll last eight months without getting charged with at least manslaughter.

"You overly arrogant piece of shit! What the fuck is your problem? What did I ever do to you, huh? What did I do?" I explode after collaring him up, and slamming him into the wall. I'm only a few inches from his face, and it takes everything in me not to remove my hands from his shirt, and place them around his neck. I know that if I do, I won't stop squeezing until he's lifeless, so I tighten my grip until my knuckles turn white. Out of nowhere, I feel myself sailing through the air, and only after I crash into the wall do I realize that he somehow kicked me in the shoulder. I'm totally ready to take him on, but am brought back to reality by the red liquid that he's dabbing from his scalp onto his fingertips. Shit!

"Don't. Eber. Touch. Me. Again," he growls out, and is practically shaking in anger. I'm finally subdued, but now he's livid.

"You wan know my proberum? You wan know what you did?" he yells, and it seems as though the angrier he gets, the worse his English gets. Hell, I'm wondering will I even understand the answer by the time he gets to it.

"I didden wan come here! This school beneat me! They coulden eben get one ting right! I ask for Japanese roommate, I get a mutt! A fuckin mongeru!" He erupts, before the rest of his rant dissolves into some bizarre combination of English and Japanese. I have already heard enough. Being mixed can really suck sometimes. I am a part of all, but accepted by none. Nothing hurts quite like this level of rejection no matter how many times I face it.

"Fuck this, I'm out. Feel free to move in as many purebred Japanese roommates as you want," I quietly inform, and then head to the door. Before I can even see a slither of the hallway, Sasuke is closing the door, and staring at me with wide eyes.

"You can't go," he says, and for a second I am struck by fear. This guy is truly fucking nuts!

"Move," I command, and then try to shoulder past. He's either really strong, or using every ounce of his strength, because for all of my pushing and shoving, he doesn't budge a centimeter.

"You can't go. My father expecting you stay here," he practically pleads, and just like a week before, he looks way younger than his age. The raw fear in his eyes is not helping the image, but at this point, I just don't give a fuck.

"Wasn't it you that said that this is his affair? Well, ditto," I reply, and am tempted to ram him again in order to free myself, but I just don't have the energy or anger to properly fuel it. I just want out.

"Look, he's all the way in Japan, and it's not like I plan on calling him anytime soon. So, he can just continue to think that I'm staying here," I try to reason, but Sasuke is swiftly shaking his head, no, and I am getting more and more frustrated.

"He'd know," he finally announces. At these words, I pause, because one, I'm amazed at how obsessed Sasuke is with keeping me here to please his father, and two, I just don't have the will to fight anymore. So, while holding my head, I practically fling myself onto the top bunk, and use my forearm to shield my eyes. I hear Sasuke quickly walking around, gathering my money and placing it on my desk. From beneath my arm, I now see him carefully straightening it out in neat stacks, and I truly feel like I should be sending Fugaku a bill, because $2816 isn't enough to deal with this bullshit.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **To all those who reviewed, thanks for taking the time to leave some feedback. You'd be surprised at the discrepancy between the numbers of visitors versus reviews writers get, so thank you!

**Chapter 6**

'What the hell? Why is the room shaking? Are we having an earthquake?' I'm groggily thinking as the rising sun is flashing on and off through the swaying verticals. I was having a strange dream where everything was shifting, and I had to fight to keep my balance, so it's kind of weird to wake up and realize that it's actually happening. It's only as I blink at the ceiling that the fuzziness begins to die down and reality comes forward…

'No fucking way! You have got to be kidding me! Has he no shame?' I think as I hear and feel the bed slamming into the wall along with heavy breathing and panting, and loud, sharp squeaks and squeals that sound as if somebody can't catch their breath.

Maybe it's the shock and disbelief of it all, but I carefully peer over the side rail, and see Sasuke's bare ass quickly rising and falling as he is ramming some girl. A quick glance leftward shows me that it is TenTen, the Chinese resident assistant that lives above us. The only way I am able to identify her in all of the movement and sheets is by the double buns that she always wears; well usually wear. Right now, one is a tangled mass of hair, and the other is starting to unravel.

"Uuuh, uu-uun, hm, hm, yaaa!"

Yup, and it is that that makes me quickly pull myself up, lay back down, and gawk at the ceiling. I know that my eyes are wide, because I can feel them drying out. But, I can't worry about that right now; there are more pressing mat… ugh… there are more important things to focus on, like how do I get out of here.

I can't just get up, because even though I am known to sleep like a boulder, Sasuke doesn't know that because I haven't been sleeping well up here. So, if I just pop out of the bed after all of this time, he would swear that I was just hanging out listening, or worse, watching. However, I damn sure don't want to sit around while all that's going on down there. There's just something disturbing about lying in a bed that's rocking to another man's thrusts. Fuck, this is awkward!

This all started a few weeks ago, about a week after our big blowout. I was finishing up my homework, about to go bed, when Sasuke comes in with some skinny, giggly girl named Kyoko. He said he needed the room for a few hours, so I left and stayed the night at Deidara's. It was a Saturday night, so it wasn't a big deal; we're men; we have our needs. The next night he brings home another girl, this one's name was Eiko, or some shit like that; I leave again. I'm thinking this is just a weekend thing, and I'm cool with that. I can make myself scarce on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ha! Before I knew it, that bastard was bringing home girls in between classes, at lunch breaks, before bed, and even while I was taking showers. I'm all for respecting the needs of the bastardly, but damn! It's gotten to the point where I have to press my ear against the door, before I walk in. I was hoping that he would have run out of ass by now due to the limited population, there are 41 international students and only 12 of them are Japanese, but apparently, he's willing to fuck any Asian. Shit!

"I'll see you around. Maybe we can study together some time?" I hear TenTen speak, and am surprised that I had completely zoned out. Now, I get how people can forget and bury traumatic memories.

"Hn," I barely hear Sasuke grunt half-heartedly, before walking into the bathroom. I glance over and see TenTen pull jeans over an ass and thighs that are practically rubbed raw, and can't help the blush that I know is covering my face. Luckily, she walks out without looking back. No sooner than the door closes, I hear Sasuke retching up what sounds to be every organ he possesses.

Okay, that's not the standard reaction a guy has after blowing a load. What the fuck?

After a few minutes, I hear water running for a second, then Sasuke comes out, blearily looks at me, and then gets back in his bed. I'm beyond puzzled about everything, and am too awake to go back to sleep even though it can't be any later than 7:30am, so I hop down and start pulling out my books to begin studying. I really need the distraction.

"Fuck," Sasuke mumbles and I immediately look in his direction. I quickly realize that his skin looks clammy and he's sort of discolored. He's also shielding his eyes, and massaging his head. Hmm, that could only mean… No way!

"You're hungover," I state with surprise, causing Sasuke to shoot me a halfhearted glare.

"No shit," he replies and then lets out a painful groan that makes me cringe out of empathy. It was just six days ago that I celebrated my 18th birthday, and I barely remember it after drinking six beers, two jagerbombs and three shots of tequila. However, I do remember waking up cold, gripping the toilet and wishing that I had a gun. Hell, I didn't even need the gun, just the bullet; at that point, I would have manually pushed it through.

Fortunately, I passed out for a few hours, so I didn't have to suffer through the worst of it. It also helped that I woke up with my pillow under my head, my cover on top of me, and Mike shining by the toilet. That, and Sasuke was surprisingly absent for the rest of the day.

'Stupid bastard trying to go a round while shit-faced,' I think, and apparently, mumble considering my lips are moving and Sasuke's looking in my direction. I then get up and go through my medicine cabinet, take out two tablets, and then march over to my roommate.

"Here," I say as I hold out my hand with the pills in my palm. A part of me wants to relish in his pain, but I can't help but to return the favor. What can I say? I'm loyal by nature.

"Whas that?" Sasuke asks while looking at the pills warily as though I'm trying to poison him. It's frustrating, but I can't say that I blame him, so after letting out a tired sigh, I lift my hand closer to his face.

"These are just Excedrin. I usually take Tylenol 4 for migraines, but you do NOT want to mix those with alcohol," I respond, and without another word, Sasuke takes the pills and practically inhales them. I look him over for a split second, and then make my way over to my desk. Before I can sit down, Sasuke throws up a puddle of alcohol and the two pills that I just gave him are floating around on top, slowing dissolving in the liquid.

"Fuck!" he yells and then grabs his head in pain. The smell of putrid stomach acid fills the room, and once again, I have to ignore my textbook to focus on the bastard. AAARRRG!

"Forget it, man. I got it," I say grumpily as I see Sasuke trying to get up without much luck. I then storm down the hall to the front desk, request a mop, then storm back to my room. The smell is just as strong as when I left, and I am fighting not to add to the mess as the cloth of the mop changes colors. Just how much did he fucking have?

"Enough," I hear from behind me, and I realize that I must have spoken aloud. I can't really react properly to him, because I am trying to get the mop back into the bucket without dripping any excess vomit onto the floor. I quickly see that it's futile, and that I am going to have to get what's remaining by hand. Uuuuuuuuuugh!

When I went to sleep last night, this was not how I expected to spend my Saturday, at all… Fuck it; it is what it is. I guess this is one of the _joys_ of being in college and having a roommate.

"I'll be back," I mumble to the unresponsive lump on the bed, and then go off to get some old hand towels. I quickly lay them over the much smaller puddle, before hauling the heavily soiled mop and bucket back to the front desk. The girl is trying her best not to make a face, and it somehow brightens my day. I'm not the only one that has been subjected to the horrid stench of Sasuke's insides. Things are looking up.

'Poor bastard. He's going to be out of commission for the rest of the day,' I think as I remember my recent hangover. The migraine seemed like it went on and on, and it took me four hours to find something that would actually stay down. Hmm, maybe I can spare Sasuke the trial and error that I went through. Besides, I could use some food right about now, too.

With that thought in mind, I hop in my car, and head over to Niko's Tavern and Grill. It's just a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's connected to the Speedway about a mile from here. Most people turn their noses up at it, but the people are nice, and the food is good, so I don't mind its less than savory appearance.

"Heeeeeeeeey, Naruto! How's it going? What can I get you this early morning?" George, Niko's older brother, yell from the grilling area the minute I walk in. Sam is walking towards me with menus, and flashing her mega-watt smile, and within moments, Niko is walking out from the back with a grin of his own.

"How's my favorite customer doing this crisp morning?" he asks as I sit at the counter. Sam is refilling some glasses of water for a group of truckers and George is flipping pancakes, but both have an ear turned in my direction, trying to follow the conversation.

"I don't even want to talk about it," I say with only a hint of annoyance, and George finds it funny as hell.

"Hahaha, what's wrong kid? Exams getting you down already?" he asks, and I can only briefly lament my lack of studying, because all eyes are on me.

"Ha, I wish! I can't even think of my midterms right now. The bastard is too hungover to fend for himself," I reply, and a few of the truckers let out whistles, and start talking about vomit duty. Sadly, I know exactly what they mean.

"Do you know what you're having, yet?" Sam asks, and I quickly rattle off an order of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and toast. I then pause, because I have no idea what to get Sasuke. We usually avoid each other, so I don't know anything about his eating habits. Luckily, George is there.

"Don't worry about it; I know what to give him. I call it George's world class hangover special," he says and then starts pulling out all sorts of ingredients. I look over at Niko for reassurance, and am not let down when he taunts and praises his brother all in one breath.

"Georgie is an idiot when it comes to most things, but he's a certified specialist when it comes to healing hangovers," he informs, and George is all the way in the stockroom laughing and agreeing with his brother's assessment. Soon after, I'm holding an extremely heavy bag of grease along with my own food.

"Don't worry about the tab. This one is on us," Niko says, and I just smile and nod, because I have learned that it is pointless to argue with him. So, I place ten dollars into the tip jar, and head home, before Sasuke's greasy meal can kill the interior of my car.

"Hey Bastard, are you still alive?" I ask as I walk in. I don't get a response, so I swiftly look over to see that he's sweating heavily, and his breathing isn't quite as fluid as I would like.

'Shit,' I think as I set the food down and then head off to the bathroom to get a damp rag. I wipe off Sasuke's face and neck, before placing my hand on his forehead. The second my hand touches his skin, he places his hand over mind, and I am sure that he's going to try to break my hand, but he just sits there. As time ticks on, I'm feeling quite strange, and would kind of like my hand back. It is then that he grips my hand and start slowly moving it around as though he's making it rub his head.

'Jeez! He must _really_ be in pain,' I think, before I wake him out of his half doze. He looks at me confusedly, but I think he's too disoriented to react any further than that. I mean the bastard still has my fucking hand!

"Here, good ole George hooked you up," I say as though he knows who I'm talking about as I hand him the brown paper bag that looks to be 60-70 percent covered in grease. Sasuke pulls out the Styrofoam containers, and I am just as interested in what's inside as he is. It turns out that it is a hot dog with chili, cheese, sauerkraut, relish, onions, mustard and ketchup along with a very large serving of curly fries. Sasuke looks confused and disgusted at the same time, but fortunately, he doesn't say anything beyond a quiet thank you.

"Sorry 'bout earrier. Didn't know you were here," he says about twenty minutes after he finishes eating. I'm surprised at the apology and the fact that he's still awake, but am mostly glad that this morning won't be a regular occurrence. So, I just give him a nod and continue cursing the pile of numbers and letters on my paper.

'Who in the fuck decided that putting letters in math problems was a good idea? I bet it was that fucking Einstein with his e=mc2 bullshit!' I think, then ball up the paper, and shoot it into the trash.

"ARRRG!" I yell after I look over the ten assigned problems only to realize that there are more letters than numbers on the page. This shit is hopeless.

"What lebel are you in?" Sasuke asks from his place on the bed, and I distractedly mumble 100, before attempting problem two again. It's only after I feel additional heat do I realize that Sasuke is sitting next to me.

"You're doing it wrong. You can't add letters. You have to…" he begins and within time, the web of confusion is unraveling, and some of this shit is starting to make sense. Hmm, maybe I won't fail this assignment after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all of the reviews! I have not updated, because I have been putting all of my effort into my novel. Therefore, I was seriously considering letting this story go due to time constraints, and the fact that it was solely created for me to get feedback and to be able to write as loosely as I felt like. However, I hate leaving things unfinished, so now my plan is to quickly finish this, and then go back to my serious work. This story will have 13 chapters.

**Chapter 7**

"Oh yeah! Who's the man? Who got an 87 percent on their midterm? That kid Namikaze, that's who! Fuck yeah!" I shout with my arms raised in field goal position as I charge into my room. I'm as happy as shit, but I swear Sasuke's unexcitable demeanor can deflate a damn dildo's erection. That fucker just glanced over, hned, and then went back to his typing. You would think that he would be more enthusiastic considering he practically had to live in my back pocket in order for me to scrape a C-. Me getting an 87 percent on any math exam is the equivalent to somebody else getting 110, so damn it, I want some acknowledgement!

"Hey, bastard, I know you heard me," I yell, and get the driest congratulations in the history of the English language. I swear I'm about to hit him, but his lip twitching ever so slightly, stops me. Most people wouldn't have caught it, but I am now a certified analyst of the bastardly, so not only do I see it, I now know that this jackass is purposely fucking with me.

Ever since that Saturday, our relationship has changed. I won't go as far as to calling us friends or anything like that, because we DO NOT talk outside of this room, go to the same hangout spots, or have even one mutual friend. However, we do get along a hell of a lot better than before. There have even been times where we both hung out in our dorm at the same time for hours on end. So, yeah, we're good, I guess.

"Screw you, bastard. Your antics will not bring down my high. Not today," I say as I start taking off my shoes. While still clicking away at his laptop, he has a comeback ready, before I can finish my sentence.

"You should reabe that stuff alone. It might damage what's reft of your brain," he says, and I am tempted to correct his English just to piss him off. It's weird to hear him talk, because sometimes his annunciations are bang on, and other times I have to mentally replay what he says in order to understand him. I'm beginning to suspect that he can only speak correctly when he's actively thinking about it, because I notice that the minute you call him on it, he speaks the language better than any native for days on end. Then, like a switch goes off, we're back to Engrish. Hmm, maybe I should change my minor to anthropology. That leaves the door open for me to do a senior thesis on Sasuke's language skills. I may even be able to self-publish my findings, and get his admirers to buy a copy at ten dollars a pop. Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

"Stop grinning at me, weirdo," he calls out, and then glances at me with a look of concern, before turning back to his screen. That snaps me out of my musings, and draws my attention back to him practically gaze fucking his screen. It also reminds me that he got his midterm results today, too, and considering his recent video game rehab stint, I'm concerned for his grade.

You see, I had no idea that the guy has an insanely obsessive nature. So, when Kiba designed a new combat game that I swear is like 40 years before its time and wanted me to give it a test run, I didn't think much of it when I asked Sasuke to play it with me. The first few times, I whooped his ass, and then moved on, thinking that it was done. That bastard, on the other hand, played it day end and day out. He played it in between classes, during lunch, late at night, and every moment of the weekend. I started worrying about his sanity and health when he started playing it DURING his classes. So, I snuck the original back to Kiba, and deleted the copy on the bastard's hard drive. He literally went apeshit for two whole days. But, I am proud to say that he has been clean for almost three weeks, though I do suspect that he has been playing my Super NES, because I clearly remember playing Donkey Kong Country before I left last weekend. Therefore, I have no idea how Mortal Kombat wound up in the slot when I checked it last night, or how the many layers of dust have magically disappeared from my Super Mario World cartridge. Hmmm.

"So, how did your Business Law and Ethics test go?" I ask, and barely catch the slight flinch. He's still staring at the screen, but I can tell he's not really looking at it anymore.

"I got an 86," he says nonchalantly, and my first instinct is to cheer about doing better on an exam than he did, but I manage not to, because that's just cruel. My 87 may be equivalent to a 110, but him getting an 86 on _anything_ is like getting an F. I'm sure Fugaku will be calling tonight, if he hasn't called already. Damn.

"What the hell are you looking at so hard, porn?" I ask as I walk over to his desk, effectively changing the conversation. No need to continue pissing on the grave of the dead, besides fucking with Sasuke will only enhance my good mood.

"Holy shit, you were looking at porn!" I yell as I catch a glimpse of a girl's panties as the browser closes. He growls something about up-skirt shots, but for him, it may as well have been porn. If I didn't live with him, and see his high sex drive in action, I would swear he was a fucking plant!

"Hey, I thought you only liked Asian girls?" I ask as it finally registers that that girl was very tall, very pale and very blonde. She practically oozed Swedish pin-up. Hell, I may have to add her to my collection.

"I onry fuck Asians, but I hab eyes, moron," he responds with some irritation. Hmm, I guess I killed the boner he was working on. My bad.

"What the hell? Why limit yourself? Have you not seen my We are the World tribute?" I question as I hold my hand up to the many posters covering my side of the room. For some reason, Sasuke looks way more irritated than he should from a simple conversation, even for him.

"America different. All mutts, anyway. Japanese stay with Japanese, especiary Uchiha," he says, and I know I should be insulted, but one thing I noticed about Sasuke is that he lashes out when he's hurting. Believe me, I've been on the receiving end of it many times, so I know what I'm talking about. But, what the hell did I say to piss him off this time?

"Just forget it, alright," he says, sounding slightly apologetic, before running a hand through his hair as though he heard my thoughts. I can feel the puzzlement on my face, and I have at least a half a dozen questions on the tip of my tongue, but I manage to hold my mouth. There really is no point in voicing them, because I won't receive an answer. I swear the more I hang around this guy, the more confused I get.

"Deidara, was here earrier, and told me to telru you that he and Ino are leabing earry, so you have to dribe home yourself," Sasuke says quickly, and it's painfully obvious that he's trying to change the subject. He did a damn good job, too, because that fucking Deidara knew I was expecting to catch a ride with him. Son of a bitch!

"What the hell? He couldn't wait one extra day? What's the point of me driving when we're going to the same damn place? Some cousin he is, ditching me the day before thanksgiving! Thanks for fucking nothing!" I yell, and try to weigh the pros and cons of having a family. Why do they always show their asses around the holidays as though it being a special occasion gives them a free pass to be dicks? Then again, it could be worst. Sasuke's dad is a dick all year long. Speaking of which…

"Hey, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" I ask, and Sasuke looks a bit puzzled, before giving a half shrug.

"I'm staying here. I already worked it out with the school," he replies, and I can't help but to frown. Who the hell stays in the dorms for Thanksgiving? All of the other international students were sent to local families, so he would be the only one here, eating stale ass take-out. Naw, fuck that. That sucks. We may not be the closest of friends, but I wouldn't even do that to an enemy.

"Dude, Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays of the year in America. It's right up there with Christmas and New Year's. You are not staying in this dorm," I say with finality, and he looks at me funnily with a quirked eyebrow. He doesn't say anything, but he's not budging either. I'm not playing this game with him today.

"Don't just stand there, pack your shit! We're leaving at 10:00 am tomorrow morning. Be ready," I say, as I head out to my last class of the day. He had better come along quietly, or I WILL ride home with him in my trunk. Either way, he's not staying in this dorm.

"Well, we're here," I say as I pull into my parent's driveway. Ironically, I'm right behind that bitch, Deidara. Luckily, for him, I can't focus on his inconsiderateness, because Sasuke's acting so damn weird. He was silent the entire way here, and when I did get anything out of him, it was a few syllables of incomprehensible Engrish to the tenth power. Now, he doesn't seem too excited about getting out of the car. I know that I said that I wanted him to come along quietly, but damn!

I turn and give him an accessing look, and realize that he's breathing just slightly harder than normal, which makes me silently question his health. Maybe I should have taken him through the ER instead of coming here.

"Sasuke," I call out, and he quickly looks at me with eyes much wider than normal, giving him that weird young look he occasionally gets. From experience, I realize that he is just nervous for some reason. You would think I was taking him to meet God. What the hell? Do I even want to know what's going on?

"We're here," I repeat after a solid half minute of intense gazing. Within nanoseconds, he seems to be back to normal, which leaves me questioning my own sanity. It's too damn early for this shit. I haven't even faced my own family, yet.

"Naruto, get your ass out of the car, and help me chop these onions, you lazy bum," my mom yells from the doorway, and I'm instantly hit with the familiarity of home. I glance over to Sasuke, and I can't help but to wonder if I'm throwing the boy to the wolves.

"You heard the lady," I say and then quickly grab all of my shit, before heading in with Sasuke in tow. As soon as I cross the foyer, I hear greetings and everybody calling out my arrival. It feels like the Cheers theme song should be playing, or something.

"Who the hell is this?" Granny Tsunade asks after practically suffocating me in her cleavage. I was so busy trying to breathe that I forgot about my bastardly tag-along.

"Hello, I'm Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto's roommate. Nice to meet you all," said bastard cuts in, speaking quite politely, before I can even open my mouth. He then gives the deepest bow that I've ever seen. Once again, what the hell?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's the holidays, hm. No need to throw your back out over these old farts!" Deidara announces, looking as bemused as I feel. He doesn't even flinch when both Granny Tsunade and Uncle Inoichi slap him upside the head over the insult, which makes me feel good that someone else is just as lost as I am.

"Now, that's what I'm talking about! Look at that respect. You unappreciative punks should take notes," Jii-jii Jiraiya calls out, before pulling Sasuke into a half hug.

"I'm Jiraiya Yamanaka, that idiot's grandfather," Jii-jii calls out while gesturing in my direction, "This is the Misses," he concludes after placing his arm around Granny Tsunade's shoulder. Sasuke quickly processes the information, before bowing again.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Yamanaka," he says, and everyone takes a step back on instinct.

"Namikaze!" Granny Tsunade barks, and Sasuke looks like a kicked puppy. Okay, time to intervene, before this gets ugly.

"That's my dad, Minato Namikaze, and my mom, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze. Over there is my uncle Inoichi Yamanaka, and my aunt, Temari Yamanaka. The big ass dog sitting on the couch like a human is Kuro. You already know Deidara and Ino, and standing before you are my grandparents, Jiraiya Yamanaka and Tsunade Namikaze. Everybody, this is Sasuke Uchiha," I say quickly, and the room instantly bursts into warm smiles and happy greetings, before everybody goes back to what they were doing before we walked in. I'm used to this environment, but Sasuke looks a little worse for wear. I probably should have filled him in sooner. Hmm, better late than never, I guess.

"At one point in time, Jii-Jii and Granny were married, but just a year after my Uncle Inoichi was born, Jii-jii cheated, and Granny divorced him. She then married another guy a few years later, but that marriage didn't last even two years, because _he_ cheated. All along Jii-jii had been trying to win Granny back, but she wasn't having it. After the second divorce was finalized, Jii-jii saw Granny at a bar getting shit-faced, lamenting about her bad luck with men. Somehow, he managed to talk his way into her pants, because that's when she got pregnant with my dad. She didn't agree to officially get back with my Jii-jii until the day my dad was born. Even then, she refused to re-marry him, or give my dad his last name, hence why there are Namikaze and Yamanaka," I whisper the abridged version of my family's history. Sasuke looks a little shocked, but he's still standing, so I must say that it's going better than I thought it would.

"Is it okay for me to know alru of this?" He whispers conspiratorially, and I can't help but to laugh at his rapid glances about the room.

"Dude, this is a nosy ass small town. Everybody knows everybody's business. It wouldn't surprise me if that shit wasn't listed in the town's history books at the library. Believe me, it's cool," I say as we walk into the kitchen. Immediately, Sasuke is sent into the family room to watch TV, while I'm handed a bowl with a five-pound bag of onions and a paring knife. Fuck my life!

"Look, you may know something about soccer, but you don't know shit about real football. Jim Brown is the greatest football player of all time, period," Uncle Inoichi yells out as he, my dad and Jii-jii argue over sports. Ti-Temari, wisely, just hands uncle Inoichi his plate, while my mom does the same with my dad. Granny Tsunade sits down with her plate, and leaves Jii-jii hanging. He looks put out, but he should be used to it by now.

"Jim Brown is definitely up there, but Jerry Rice and he played in different eras. If they had played at the same time, Rice would have come out ahead," my dad added calmly.

"You two are both forgetting that they played different positions," Jii-jii says as he comes in with his plate. It goes like this every get-together. We all pile into the family room and listen to the old dudes argue about sports until someone gets tired of hearing it, and then breaks it up. Deidara and I look at each other at the same time. With a smirk, it's on.

"Those old dudes suck! I like Reggie Bush," I say. Not a second later, Deidara adds his two cents.

"I'll take nobody. I think they're all gay. What man goes around slapping another man's ass while wearing spandex," he says. I can practically feel the rage building. Three, two, one…

"Reggie Bush?"

"Gay?"

"Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit!"

"Something is wrong with these damn kids!"

"When I was your age…"

All you can hear is loud shouting about disrespect, society going down the drain, pansies and the good ole days. Ino, Deidara and I are rolling, while my mom and granny are sharing a bottle. Ti-Temari looks like she's about to knock-out whichever man is closer, and Jii-jii's Great Dane, Kuro, is making his rounds to every unattended plate he sees. Yup, typical Namikaze-Yamanaka Thanksgiving, which reminds me…

"Yo, don't think I forgot about you ditching me, you bastard. I'm totally getting you back for that," I say to Deidara, and he just gives me an irritated half-glare.

"Take this ten dollars, and shut the hell up already, hm. There's no way all of your shit _and_ Sasuke's shit would have fit into my car, so you would have had to drive anyway," he responds, and I quickly put the cash into my wallet. If he's paying for my gas, I have no complaints. Hell, I'll drive to Egypt, if he's covering the expenses.

"See what you bastards did. You have the kids arguing. Fucking bad influences," my mom slurs and Granny looks on in agreement. My dad looks a little concerned when my mom stands up with a wobble and Uncle Inoichi is trying to pry the gin and tonic from Granny's hands. Jii-jii wisely moves to the other side of the room, but he may be jumping from the pan and into the fire by sitting next to Ti-Temari.

"Yo, Naruto, look at Sasuke," Ino whispers, and I turn my gaze onto my roommate. Most would interpret the look on his face as apprehension, or bemusement, but I know what those look like. This is a look I've never seen before, and I can't quite place the emotion. Either way, we should probably make our retreat.

"Come on, let's get out of here, before things _really_ get interesting," I whisper, before latching on to his arm, and practically drag him to my room. I then let out a sigh, after I close my door, leaving most of the commotion on the other side.

"I love my family, but I can only take them in small doses," I say with a half grin, but he just looks at me with a mixture of sadness and blankness, before glancing at the door, and then gazing out the patio door. I don't what's going on with him, so I ignore it for the time being.

"That patio is my favorite part about this room. It's nice to have access to fresh air first thing in the morning, and to sleep out there during the summer nights. More importantly, it allowed me to sneak out when I was in high school," I state, and then get a rare laugh in response. Wow.

"You probabry got your ass kicked," Sasuke says, and right on cue I hear my mom shouting, and I can't help but to think of the many times I got my _ass kicked_. So, for the next two and half hours I tell Sasuke all about my escapades and mishaps. I tell him about the time my mom caught Sakura and I making out, and then made us both watch birthing videos for the rest of the day. I tell him about the time my mom found Deidara's joint, thought it was mine, and then tried to send me to rehab. I tell him how she was waiting on my balcony when I tried to climb back in after sneaking out, only to push me off the ledge and into the rose bushes. I also tell him how she hired obese male strippers to show up to the secret party I tried to throw while she and my dad were out of town. The more I speak, the more crazy memories resurface that I just have to tell.

Oddly, the entire time, Sasuke looks on as though I am sharing the secret of life. I can practically see him analyzing and categorizing everything I'm saying, which makes me share even more. It also explains why his grades are so fucking high. If I had half of his attention span, I would graduate Summa Cum Laude.

"You forgot the time I replaced all of your hidden porn with gay porn," a voice says from behind me, and I jump nearly two into the air.

"You scared the shit out of me! How long have you been standing there?" I exclaim, forgetting my language, when I turn around and see my mom only a few inches away. She looks at me with glassy eyes, and then starts scrutinizing the floor.

"Shit? Shit? I don't see any shit," she replies, and then looks for said shit on the ceiling. Sasuke is trying his best not to laugh, and my embarrassment grows when she starts inspecting my pants.

"Dad! Come get her!" I holler, and like my magic, my savior appears.

"Kushina, sweetie, what are you doing?" Dad asks, and my mom looks at him confusedly with her head cocked to the side.

"I'm looking for shit. Changing diapers is like riding a bike. Once you learn how, you never lose the skill. I miss changing diapers. My baby is not a baby anymore. Minato, I want another baby," she responds, and my dad immediately chokes on his spit. After hacking for a full minute, he gapes at her like a fish out of water. Mom's face instantly crumbles.

"What? You don't want one? You think I'm too old, don't you? I only turned 37 a few months ago, and everything is still running properly," she says with tear-filled eyes. I'm too embarrassed to remove my hand from my face, and dad is somehow pale and red at the same time.

"Uh, sure, we can have another one, if you really want one?" He says as he grins while rubbing the back of his neck. In seconds, mom is squeezing the life out of him.

"Great! I'll get the handcuffs. The hooks for the trapeze are still in the ceiling!" She replies. Aww naw, that's it!

"WOULD YOU TWO, PLEASE?" I yell, and my dad sends an apologetic smile. Mom is back in commander mode, and is way too excited for a typical Thanksgiving evening.

"Okay, time for bed everyone," she says, and Sasuke starts gathering his pajamas and shower gear without a word. Fuck that, I'm not going down without a fight.

"Mom, we are eighteen years old. You said it yourself, we're not babies anymore!" I rebut, but she just rubs her hand through my hair.

"Nope, you're not a baby, but you're still my baby. So, goodnight," she responds with finality, before heading out with my whipped father in tow. All I can do is wait until my shower is free, so that I can _get ready for bed_. Can you believe this shit? Fuck my life!

"Not a word, you bastard," I say after walking into my room, and seeing Sasuke with a contented smile on his face. He's doing that creepy young thing again, and I'm very tempted to ask to see his birth certificate.

"Nice family," he responds after a moment or so. I am ready to be insulted, but oddly, I think he means it. Even now, he's looking around my room in wonder. It's not surprising that stops to stare at my collection of retro games. I have over 200 cartridges for my NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, and 90's style Gameboy. Wait a minute, did he just sneak two cartridges into his pocket?

"Don't even think about it, bastard. I know you've been sneaking and playing my game," I inform, and Sasuke looks down right scandalized. I continue, before he can get a word in.

"I know what my dust is supposed to look like, so don't even try to deny it," I say. He then puts the THREE cartridges back onto the shelf, while mumbling something about Kathy Bates and Misery.

"_Lights out, boys!"_

Oh, for the lo… fuck it. Let me get Mike, and get on with this shit. I do not want her coming back in here. For all I know, she may walk in naked!

'Damn it, Mike, where are you?' I think as I frantically look through my bags for a second time. I don't stop until something bounces off my head. First, I look to see what the hell just hit me, '_Mike!'_ Then, I look in the direction of where he came flying from only to see Sasuke smirking at me.

"Forget something?" He asks smugly, and I begrudgingly mumble a thank you. Damn, he must have figured out that I _literally_ cannot sleep without Mike glowing.

"Fussing over a small right," Sasuke mumbles with a laugh as he continues to search through his bags. His panic is growing and he is starting to sweat. I must say that I am greatly enjoying myself. It serves him right for keeping Mike hostage.

"Forget something?" I ask after he searches through his bag for a third time. Instantly, he looks at me with sheer hope. Jeez man, control your face!

"You're lucky I spotted this as I was walking out," I say as I pass him the waded up blanket. I'm almost positive that he just hugged that thing, before setting it down, but no way in hell is my mind willing to process that. Therefore, it did not happen.

"Hurry up, and turn off the lights, before she comes back in here!" I say after hearing some feet. It could be some other member of the family going to take a leak, but I'm not taking any chances.

"Nice family," Sasuke says again, after the room is completely black, and the feet are gone. I can't help but to snort.

"You say that now, but wait until you meet the extended family, tomorrow," I reply, and instantly, that small, contented smile is back on his face. I wish I could fell the same. Then again, not all of us are masochists.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Thank you RussleKun, I can always depend on your review. I also want to thank maxridelover and cutiepie88 for consistently reviewing. To anyone that has left me a review in the past, thank you, too! As stated before, I'm going to try to bang these out as quickly as possible, so even though I do edit my work, there will likely be more mistakes. If I see them, they will be corrected!

**Chapter 8**

I can't believe that it's almost Christmas, and that this semester is just about over. I swear it seems like Thanksgiving was just yesterday. As trying as that was, seeing Sasuke go through hell was quite fun. First, Temari's eight-year-old nephew, Gaara, turned the poor bastard into his _Mike_, and wouldn't go to sleep unless he was practically inside of Sasuke's pajamas. Then, Gaara's older brother, Sasori, nicknamed him "_the living doll_," and put all sorts of paint and makeup on him whenever he caught him unawares. Oh yeah, then Ino somehow _forgot _that he was taking a shower, and saw the dude's whole package. Uncle Inoichi grilled the shit out of him about his father's company, and his intentions with his daughter. My mom deemed him "like family" and decided that it was okay to walk through the house in her underwear. Kuro ripped ass every time he got within two feet of the bastard. My cousin Nagato, his wife, Anko, and all of his piercings came over for a moment. Then, my cousin Yahiko and his brood of seven stopped by. Good times man, good times.

Strangely, though Sasuke seemed a little lost, I got the vibe that he _liked_ the hell my family gave. I was kind of hoping that he would give me an excuse to leave early, but every time I had asked him whether he was ready to go, he would just say that he was fine, and then go back to hell. For the first time since I met him, he seemed happy. Hell, he even slept like he was happy, hugging that damn blanket all the while. I don't get it. I really don't get it. But, me taking him home with me seemed to be a real icebreaker.

I still don't know a hell of a lot about the guy, but I did learn that his father is a self-made millionaire, his parents are still married, and that he has an older brother named Itachi that is severely estranged from the rest of the family. For some reason he was _really_ tight-lipped about him, but from what I could gather, Itachi was greedy and arrogant, put his own goals before his family's, and nearly bankrupted them. Sasuke seemed bent out of shape over it, but it just sounded like father, like son to me. Then again, who am I to judge?

I guess, on some level, I do consider the bastard a friend, which is really weird, because every single friend that I have, I met through or with Ino. This is the first time I made a friend outside of our clique, and Ino is actively trying like hell to change that. I don't know what she saw when she walked in on him, but whatever it was, she liked, because she shamelessly flirts with the dude. Usually, she won't back off until he is visibly _distracted_ and I have to step in and save him. I don't have the heart to tell her that he only takes pure Japanese girls seriously. _Sorry, sis!_

"Owatta," I hear Sasuke mumble, effectively stopping my Greatest Moments Ever reiteration. He looks beat, and he doesn't even bother to climb into his bed; he just stretches out on the floor.

"Jeez, man, what did they do to you? You didn't run into, Ino, did you?" I joke from my desk, and just barely catch the obscene hand gesture directed at me. I'm tempted to keep going, but I'll cut him some slack today.

"Well, how did it go? I'm using you as a scale to see how I did, so start talking," I say after a minute or so. Fugaku _requested_ that Sasuke's grades be released immediately after each exam, so although I have to wait another week for my final exam grades to post, that bastard gets put out of his misery right away. We don't have any classes together, but if he bombed, I already know that I'm screwed, because he studies three times as much as I do.

"I got an A in Economics, an A- in Engrish, an A- in World History, an A in Calcurus, a B in Philrosophy and a B+ in Business," he rattles off, and I can't help but to cringe at his grades. If I showed those grades to my dad, he would be buying me a new car. But, Fugaku wants a 4.0 and nothing less, and that sure in the hell wasn't it.

"How did you get a B+ in Business Law? You studied like hell for that class. Hell, I thought you _over_ studied for it," I exclaim in shock, and Sasuke's face does a great job of personifying my incredulity.

"He wanted certain keywords in my essay, so eben though I explained the concepts, I onry got half credit for my answer. That brought my exam grade down to a 71," he explains, before placing his arm over his face in anger and exhaustion. I truly feel for the dude. There's nothing like applying yourself, and still coming up short. Believe me, I know all about it.

"Hey, let's hit the arcade, and then come back here and get shit-faced. If you're going to walk around feeling like shit, you might as well have a good reason for it," I suggest even though I'm a little apprehensive. Besides going to the cafeteria together a few times, we haven't truly hung out together. However, I keep getting a vibe that he knows how to have a good time even though all I ever see him doing is studying or fucking. Wait, that came out wrong.

"I have to pack. My dad is sending a driber over at 8 in the morning," he replies with minimal energy, ending my thoughts, and making me visibly flinch all at once. You would think I would be used to these incidents after living an entire semester with the guy, but all I can do is shake my head as I walk over to our dorm phone, and press the play button.

"_This call is for Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, I rescheduled your flight for Friday at noon. There's no need for me to pay top dollar just for you to get here a day earlier. I also cancelled the driver, so you'll have to catch a taxi. I don't like to waste money, so if you wind up failing or quitting school this year, I'd like to know that I kept my costs to a minimum."_

With that, the message ends, and Sasuke continues to stare at the machine as though in a trance. I really don't know what to say, so like my mom, I just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"I saw that there was a missed call earlier, so I just pressed play without thinking," I quickly say in explanation. You see, our answering machine is ghetto. If you press play, it will not stop until every message is finished whether you want it to play them or not. Either way, Sasuke doesn't care much. He just nods his head numbly. Damn it, why am I always a witness to this shit!

"Look, I was going to head out around 10:00am on Friday, but I don't mind dropping you off at the airport, and then leaving a little later. Besides, it fits in great with our plans. We can get hammered today, recover tomorrow, then be ready to go on Friday morning," I say, and a few signs of life emerge on Sasuke's face. He appears to be really contemplating it, so all I can do is stand by. But, he's taking so long to answer that I'm tempted to rescind the offer. It doesn't matter to me much either way.

"Lret's do it," he says abruptly and with resolve, which throws me off for a second. What a minute, what?

"Hell Yeah!"

* * *

"I can't belrieve you're eating that. It's a kiro of sugar and oilru," Sasuke says with visible disgust as he looks over at my fried pastry. I follow his gaze and see nothing but perfection. There's drizzled chocolate, powder sugar, warm cherries and of course the fried dough itself. It doesn't get any better than this.

"I don't know what you're talking about, because what you're over there eating is nasty," I say with confusion and similar discuss as I look at his pile of lettuce, tomatoes and anchovies. That's the equivalent of eating shit to me. Besides, if you eat that on a date, you're not getting a kiss, let alone any ass. Ugh!

"You don't know good food. You think boxed cheese and noodles are healthy," he replies as he begins to eat his pile 'o shit dinner. Ugh, better him than me.

"Whatever, dude. Easy Mac is the shit. Look at these guns," I say as I flex and kiss my muscle. I saw some girls looking at the table across the room, so I had to add that in. Sasuke follows my line of sight, then gives me an amused smirk when he turns back around.

"Guns? Those are slring-shots at best," he announces quite loudly, and the trio of babes just have to overhear it and laugh at me. I'm actually quite tempted to kick his ass. What the hell is his problem? He can't get _all_ of the action, damn it!

"You wouldn't stand a chance," he adds on as though he can read my mind. Of course, this leads to an intense stare-off, before we wordlessly head over to the laser-tag section. I have already kicked his ass in every video that we played together, so I guess it's time for me to put him in his place once and for all. Fucking amateurs.

* * *

No. Fucking. Way. I don't know what's going on, but he's on some matrix type shit. The first time I tried to shoot him, he flipped backwards, dropped low, and then did a spin before running off. Then, he practically inverted his limbs to avoid the hit on my second attempt. Now, he's running UP the wall. WHAT THE FUCK?

"Oh my God, that dude kicks ass!"

"Did you see what he just did?"

"Cute and athletic, huh?"

"I wish my boyfriend could do that!"

"Do you think he's single?"

Great, just fucking great. Not only has the dude attracted every guy and girl over to our tournament, I'm now going to be known as the shmuck that got his ass handed to him for weeks, if not months to come. I am not coming back to place again. No way!

"Gib up?" Sasuke asks arrogantly as he lands next to me. I hate to admit defeat, but I'm not going to beat him as I am, and I really don't want even more people witnessing this. Fuck! That's it, I vow on my full name that I am going to learn all of that fancy shit he just pulled, and give him the biggest public beat down of his life.

"You wish I would just give! You're lucky that we still haven't started phase two of the night, or I would spend the next two hours wiping up the floor with you," I say with false confidence, and the crowd is looking between us as though we are hired performers putting on an act. Sasuke doesn't look even slightly convinced, but who gives a shit about him. I'm trying to save my reputation here.

"Tch, moron," he finally says, before walking over to his coat and scarf, the crowd cheering and applauding along the way. I give a grin and a deep bow, before joining him. I'm now feeling quite confident, because I KNOW that the bastard can't out drink me. I do have my mom's and Granny Tsunade's blood after all.

* * *

"Ha, you're feeling it already? You've only had three shots," I laugh and tease when Sasuke gets the Asian flush. Almost immediately, he takes another, before looking a little sick. Like I guessed, he may be a "nidan black belt" in karate as he so arrogantly informed me, but no one can out drink a Namikaze, so ha! Oh no, is he gonna hurl? Whew, false alarm!

"Deidara is gonna be so pissed when he sees that we drank all of his whiskey. Hell, Kiba is gonna be pissed that he wasn't invited," I speak offhandedly as I swirl the small corner of liquid remaining in the bottle. It was only a pint, so I'm kind of glad that Kiba didn't know. He can drink his ass off!

"Hmmm, to crack open the six pack, or to not crack open the six pack? That is the question," I say as I lay on my back, and stare at the ceiling. I've already had six shots, so do I really want to add a few beers on top of it? Hmmm…

"To crack," Sasuke says as he removes his shirt, and just like that, the decision is made. With great laziness, I grab two cans out of my mini-fridge, hand Sasuke to one, and then sit on the floor with my back resting against the frame of the bottom bunk. It takes too much effort to support all of my weight, so I'm letting the bed assist me. I'm content with sitting here for the rest of the night, and I think that it shows with me letting the silence mount.

"I'm rearry not lrooking forward to this," Sasuke finally speaks as he rests the cold can against his head. I'm not quite sure what he's referring to, so I just sit back and wait for him to elaborate. It doesn't happen, and I don't press the issue.

"Why the fuck is the heat set to hell now after they froze us for nearly half of the semester? Are they trying to show us what we could have had?" I say after several minutes, and Sasuke groans in agreement. With the 80-degree room and heavy liquor, his skin is starting to resemble a boiling lobster. I'm almost certain that he would be naked, if I wasn't in here, and I can't say that I blame him. Hell, if it goes up one more degree, I'm going to get naked whether he's here or not.

"Parents willru be here tomorrow and Friday. They don't want them to know our libing conditions," Sasuke replies as he stretches out on his stomach, drawing my attention to his back. A few months ago, I noticed that he had a bunch of faded scars on his back, but I never had the chance to really study them. Now, that he's spread out before me, I see that though they are very slight, they cover at least 70 percent of the skin from his shoulder blades to his tailbone. It almost looks like he had skin grafts. Damn, did he get burned? Should I ask him? Shit, he's looking right at me!

"I made a stupid mistake as a child," he says once our eyes meet, before closing his, marking the end of the conversation. That's the most of an explanation I have ever received, so I'm content, and don't expect much more. But…

"I did a lrot of dumb things as a child," he adds while flexing his back and simultaneously giving me a wry smirk. I'm trying to think of what dumb things he could have done, but I'm drawing blanks. I just can't see Mr. Study-Nine-Hours-a-Day going out Naruto style. The look on my face gives my thoughts away.

"You think you're the onry one that can raise hellru? Ha! I'm just smarter," Sasuke brags, and then starts rattling off his own list of escapades and mishaps. Some of the shit he claims to have done is either pure fabrication or pure genius, because if I had tried even a fraction of that, my ass would still be raw from the lashings my mom and Granny Tsunade would have given. There's also my dad. It takes a lot to piss him off, but when he gets mad, it gets ugly!

But, lies or not, Sasuke's stories are entertaining as hell. I don't even notice when the sun comes up, and we're still sharing, laughing and comparing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

'Finally!'

I swear all of the worst drivers come out around the holidays. I mean who in the hell hits their brakes in order to get over while on the freeway? For the love of God! This break is getting off to a hell of a start. First, I spent all yesterday having a ménage a trois with Sasuke and our dorm toilet. Then, we woke up an hour late, and had to pack like hell in order for him to make his flight, only to get half way there and have to turn around because he forgot his passport. Then, we got into it with a truck driver, because the bastard was riding slow as hell in the HOV lane. Sasuke mooned him, and we almost got a ticket and into an accident. Luckily, we got to the airport without a second to spare, but my hell didn't end there. Naw, it just had to start snowing as soon as I hit the expressway. Of course, as soon as everybody saw ONE snowflake they started doing TWO all the way home. It took three fucking hours to do a 25-minute drive. Fuck my life!

'Granny Tsunade is so going to kill me,' I think as I look at my watch and see that it is already 1:00pm. It's still going to take me another hour to get ready, a good 20 minutes to get home, and I was supposed to be at the house by 10:30am. I'm glad that I forgot my phone, because I'm sure I would have gotten cursed out all morning long.

'Come on key, go into the hole. You do this every day. It's your job, damn it,' I mentally argue with the bent up piece of metal that I'm holding. Just when I'm about to go apeshit and whoop its ass, it finally opens the door.

'After facing that shit out there, this heat feels good,' I think as I throw my coat onto Sasuke's bed. It's only then that I realize that I am not alone. Who the fuck is that guy?

"Hey man, what are you doing in here?" I ask and get into a defensive position on instinct. This guy has a few inches on me, but he's skinnier, a little bigger than Sasuke, actually. He kind of reminds me of a puddle; because he's draped in all black with a black leather coat on top of that, long, black ass hair falling over his shoulders, and the most non-expressive face I have ever seen. That's saying something considering whom I room with.

"I didn't mean to startle you, my apologies, Naruto," the dude speaks in a low baritone voice as he bows, yet never removes his eyes from mine. It feels like he's looking into my soul. Hell, maybe he is, or at least reading my mind, because I did not tell him my name, and I do NOT know him.

"Look dude, I don't know who you are, but you're about to get your Morpheus ass kicked today, if you don't state who are, and what's your purpose," I reply as I block the main door. I don't know how he got in here, but he's about to catch hell getting back out.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha, and I am Sasuke's elder brother. It's good to finally meet you," he says as he extends his arm with a barely perceptible smile. Instantly, I move back, and can feel my eyes widening. I know he's not a mass murderer or anything, but Sasuke made him sound like the boogeyman. Naw, I'll keep my distance.

"Hn, I see Sasuke has been talking about me," Itachi responds, and then takes the offered hand and runs it through his hair. I'm still gawking to insure that he makes no fast moves, but he seems perfectly content gazing about the room. Fuck this, I'm not spending my whole day doing this. I also don't like the way he's keeps eyeing my doughnuts.

"Um, you're a little late, if you're looking for Sasuke. I just dropped him off at the airport a few hours ago," I inform, and try to correct my posture. I will not let myself get owned in my own room. Besides, the sooner I get this weirdo out of here, the better. I have a vacation to start.

"You're mistaken. I'm very much aware that Sasuke is gone. That's why I'm here. I've come to speak with you, personally," Itachi rebuts, and I'm a bit taken aback. What the hell could he want with me? More importantly, how does he even know of me?

"I've been watching over Sasuke for the past few months, and I'm concerned about him. I'm also concerned about and you and your family," Itachi interjects before I can voice my questions. After hearing what he just said, I can't help what comes out of my mouth next.

"Considering what you did to your family, I think I'll pass on your concern," I blurt, and the room gets deathly silent. After accessing me for several seconds, Itachi lets out a tired sounding sigh, and then leans against the window seat. Damn, I guess he has no plans on leaving any time soon.

"I'm sure you've been told how I embezzled funds, and cost my family a very important merger," Itachi finally speaks up and then pause as though he's waiting on a response. I don't give him one.

"It's true. I transferred 100 million dollars into a private account, opened a rival company, and put a stop to five of their business acquisitions," he added, and I'm not sure what to say. I know many Japanese are Buddhists, but even they should know that I am not a priest, and this dorm is not a confessional.

"Do you think I was wrong?" He continues on, and I'm not sure if he's looking for an answer or not, so once again, he gets my silence. I'm really debating about whether I should respond though, because silence tends to make him talk more, and I don't have time to play Dr. Phil with him.

"What if I told you that I did it to save them?" He talks some more, true to form. This time, I'm ready. There has to be an off switch somewhere on him.

"I'm not the most business savvy guy on the planet, but that does not sound like any savior I would want," I reply, and now he seems more engaged than ever. Shit, I moved the dial in the wrong direction!

"Hn, it would appear that way, but everything is not always as it seems. I guess I should start from the beginning," he says, and then sneaks a quick glance at my doughnuts again. I'm really pressed for time, but now I'm intrigued with what he has to tell me. I also want to guard my food.

"As far back as I can remember, my father has always put the family business and success before all else, including his marriage, his kids and his health. When I was born, I had a natural gift for just about anything that I attempted, but nothing truly interested me. I just did what I was told and succeeded at my endeavors. My father saw my potential and started grooming me to be his right-hand when I was three-years-old. Two years later, Sasuke was born, and we were like night and day. I was known for being stoic and apathetic, but Sasuke was vibrant and energetic from day one. He loved playing pranks, laughing loudly and just being a normal kid, while I was junior CEO of the most powerful company in the world at the age of 12. Many people find that impressive, but I always admired my little brother, because he was free to do what he wanted, and was happy all the time, loving life. My father, on the other hand, was not impressed. He always called me his greatest success and Sasuke his greatest failure...

Sasuke received good grades, and ranked in the top ten percent of his class, but I had a perfect score, and finished high school at age 11. Sasuke excelled at Karate and the flute, but I was the two-time mixed martial art champion of Japan, number one junior track and field star from 1999-2001, and honorary stand-in for the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. Sasuke was adept at poetry and creative writing, but I was the ghostwriter to the number one best-selling business management book of the decade. No matter what he did, Sasuke could not surpass me, and my father was quick to point it out. I tried to purposely fail certain projects, but Sasuke was still the one to get mocked. Eventually, he stopped trying...

By the time Sasuke got into junior high, he averaged a C- minus at best, started stealing, doing drugs and getting into any trouble he could find. He couldn't get my father's attention with good behavior, so he set out to get it at any cost. Usually my father was more concerned with protecting the family name. The worst incident occurred when Sasuke was 13. He rented a car on the company's account, and crashed it while doing 45 kilometers over the speed limit. He was in the hospital for three months, and went through intense physical therapy, but my father didn't visit him once. He spent more time and money keeping Sasuke's full name out of the paper, than he did on his son's recovery. It only got worse after that…

When Sasuke was 14, he went and got a dragon tattoo that covered his entire back. He wanted something permanent that my father couldn't just sweep under the rug. He wanted a reaction, even if it was just anger; it almost cost him his life. My father became so enraged that he slammed him onto the floor headfirst. By the time I intervened, Sasuke was lying motionless in a puddle of blood. He was lucky to only have a sprained vertebra. Of course, my father wasted no time in sending him to numerous clinics to have the tattoo removed in four-week intervals. Sasuke was usually half-comatose after each session, but he still had to make appearances with the family…

The breaking point finally came when my father caught Sasuke and his best friend Karin going at it. My father has always been a purist to the point where he married his own cousin, our mother, Mikoto Uchiha. So, when he saw his son and some American girl _fornicating_, he bought out her parents in a knee-jerk reaction, and made them sign waivers that they would never disclose what happened or come into contact with our family again. They were just a young, poor military family, so when my father waived six figures in their faces, they accepted. Sasuke was devastated. When you get your heart broken at such a young age, it changes you, greatly," Itachi informs, and then pause as though he's in deep thought. At the same time, my mind is reeling. It's too much. I can't process this!

"Why the fuck didn't you do anything? You're his older brother, you bastard!" I scream after I gather a portion of my thoughts. Itachi gives me a wry, yet sad smile, and I realize that that young thing is a hereditary trait.

"Many, many times I have attempted to intervene on Sasuke's behalf, but I was just as powerless. If I spoke up for Sasuke, he was punished harder, because my father took it as a bad influence on me. Therefore, I went straight to the source. I became Sasuke's father in any way I could. I attended games, parent-teacher conferences, shows, the hospital, everything. However, I failed at that one endeavor. I could not fill a father's shoes. I wasn't enough," he replied, and though I'm still angry, I feel numb. What the hell do you say to that? Wait a minute, how did he get so close to my doughnuts?

"To be honest, I had one option, and that was to leave. I thought that without me around, my parents would have to accept Sasuke. But, I was hesitant. I loved my parents, and I did not want to betray them. Fortunately, they made it easier for me when they tried to force me to marry three years ago in order to get a merger."

'_What?_'

"My father had taken over just about every viable biomedical company in Japan, but the Hyuuga stood in his way. Eventually, my father found a loophole that they could not get out of. It was either merge with us or sink. In a last ditch effect to keep his family involved in the company, Higashi Hyuuga made a deal to agree to the acquisition only if his eldest daughter, Hinata Hyuuga, was married into our family. She was just 13-years-old at the time, and I had just turned twenty. My father thought it was a steal of a deal, but I refused. It took me to see that to realize just how diabolical the man had become, so I vowed to take him down," Itachi states while looking directly into my eyes. Once again, I'm trying to process this shit. Something's not adding up.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Hyuuga-Uchiha merger occur last fall," I say in fear of the answer I will get. The pit of my stomach feels hollow, because I already know what I'm going to hear.

"My father has two sons," Itachi responds, and the confirmation feels sour. I never remember a Christmas week feeling like this.

"My leaving caused a hitch in my fathers planned, but it's hard to keep him down. My mother, who was just as cruel as he was when Sasuke and I were kids, mourned my absence, and changed drastically. She finally became the mother Sasuke needed. My father, on the other hand, just saw opportunity…

Throughout Sasuke's high school years, he tried to turn him into me. Sasuke went to school eight hours a day, cram school another four, studied at home an additional five, and slept whenever time permitted. He was hospitalized several times, and dropped down to 110 pounds his second year. It all paid off, and he graduated at the top of his class, but his prior record made him a high-risk student, so the University of Tokyo rejected him. My father was enraged and embarrassed, so he attempted to ship him overseas to Harvard or Yale, but Sasuke couldn't speak proper English until about two years ago. His toefl score was too low, so he was rejected again. My father then just wanted to hide him somewhere where his business associates couldn't find out that his son was at a less than prestigious school, so he chose this one. As soon as Sasuke graduates, he will be married to the Hyuuga," Itachi concludes.

All is silent, and I can't say that it's enjoyable. The quiet is just a reminder that neither of us have any solutions. I'm getting angrier and angrier by the second.

"What the fuck is wrong with your dad? Why doesn't Sasuke speak up for himself? Why are you telling me all of this? More importantly, what is your fascination with my doughnuts? Do you want one? Please, help yourself!" I say in frustration, and without another word, Itachi is contentedly eating my snacks. Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide whether to beat some ass or cry.

"I don't mean to unload all of this drama onto you, but my father is growing increasingly interested in your uncle's company. You see, I have been intercepting his and Sasuke's emails for the past two years, and your family's name has come up in at least 80 percent of the ones sent out recently. He has profiles on everyone in your immediate family from your father, Minato, to your Grandmother, Tsunade," Itachi informs calmly as he chews on a second pastry. Red. All I can see is red.

"No offense, but I will fucking KILL your father, before I let him harm ANYBODY from my family! By the time I'm done the forensics team would need a microscope to pick up the pieces!" I yell in rage, but Itachi just picks up a third doughnut, and bites into it with closed eyes.

"You must not forget that Sasuke will likely be in on the scheme. Will he share the same fate?" He asks casually, but the room feels colder all of a sudden. Damn, I guess they turned the heat back off.

"Understand, I will not let Sasuke OR your Dad hurt my family. But, I already know who is pulling the strings. Sasuke is just a pawn in all of this shit. Somehow, I will get justice for him, too," I reply, and once again the room is toasty. What the fuck is going on? Either freeze me or burn me up, damn it. But, don't give me a cold in the process. Fucking maintenance people.

"I'm glad that you see things as I do. Unfortunately, I do not know what my father is up to at the moment, but the minute that I am in the know, I will keep you informed," Itachi says as he takes the final bite of a fourth doughnut. What the fuck? I know damn well that I said ONE.

"I'm glad that I got the chance to meet you, Naruto. Last night was the first time I saw my brother laugh uninhibitedly in years. Somehow, you have earned his adoration, and mine as well. You truly are a remarkable person," Itachi says as he walks out of my room while carrying the remainder of my doughnuts. I'm tempted to send him a bill, but I don't know where he went, or even how to contact him. Besides, I've got to put on a happy face for my friends and family. There's no need to spoil everyone else's vacation with this bullshit. I'm handling this myself. Game on, Fugaku.


	10. Chapter 10

**IMPORTANT!**

**1)** Thank you cutiepie88 for you review. It's great to get feedback!

**2) **I would have updated sooner, but I have been battling the flu, and a boatload of work.

**3) **In order for this story to go as I originally planned, I need to add another chapter. So, there will be 14 chapters, and no more.

**4)** Kanazerosukenaru, you did not offend me, but I do need to clarify some things. First, my notes are my way of keeping my readers up to date with what's going on with my writing efforts. You say that you want me to be honest; well that is exactly what I am trying to do. Second, I state my motivation for writing a story so that reviewers can focus on sections of the writing that will help me improve. For example, if I say that my English is weak, I will probably get reviews about spelling and grammar. If I state that plot consistency is my problem, I will likely get reviews pointing out deviations. That's why I was VERY upfront in my notes about my motivation status and what area of feedback I was particularly interested in. However, I do understand where you're coming from. It was not my intention to make this story seem like drivel that I'm just posting to past the time. I care about everything that my name is on, be it real name or penname, so this story will get finished. If anyone else has any questions or comments, please send them my way. The whole point of posting on this style of forum is for the practice and interaction, so I'm always open to discussion. ^_^

**Chapter 10**

Man, winter vacation was anything but a damn vacation. With all of this Uchiha shit swirling around in my head, it was a constant effort to keep a smile on my face and act normal in front of my family. Usually, I love our annual trip to Big Beaver Sieve ski resort, but this year the cabin seemed cold, the jokes were stale, the hot chocolate was bitter and the snow was too hard. It didn't get any better when over 15,000 dollars worth of gifts arrived, courtesy of Fugaku. Of course, everybody thought that he was the second coming of Buddha for his great generosity and appreciativeness that we invited his son over for Thanksgiving. Hell, even Uncle Inoichi was sporting a face-splitting grin once he opened a package containing some "elusive" football paraphernalia. I was just about ready to beat all of their asses for being so gullible, but my dad looked at me and winked, and that was all I needed. If he was in the know, then all was well; well, at least until I came back and had to face Sasuke.

The first few days that he was here, he was acting strange as hell. He would not speak even when spoken to, and would not meet my gaze no matter how hard I tried to meet his. For a minute, I was concerned that Fugaku had cut his vocal chords, or worse, did something to damage his brain. But, then, like a switch had gone off, he was back to normal, sort of. You see, he's been having weird ass mood swings for the past week or so. At times, he's contemplative and reserved, and then seconds later he's cracking jokes and laughing loudly. I honestly don't know what to make of it. Discussing it with Itachi would be a big help, but he left me with no way of contacting him, the bastard. Who parties on another man's doughnuts without at least giving him your phone number?

"Will you stop growlring, you freak," Sasuke says from two inches from my face, effectively startling me to the point where I have to grab the wall in order to not fall backwards in my chair. Having the shit scared out of me only succeeds in pissing me off.

"What the hell, man? Why the fuck were you that close to my face? Have you lost your mind, or something?" I yell with my hand over my heart, yet Sasuke just continues to stare at me as though I am the one with the problem.

"I should be asking you that. You're the one glraring and growlring at air," he replies and finally I notice a sense of unease within him. From the look on his face, it's quite clear that he thinks I'm a few short of a dozen, and for some reason, that's funny as hell to me. So, as I proceed to laugh my ass off, he looks more disturbed, which causes me to laugh more. I don't know if the stress is finally getting to me, or if it really is that funny, but it feels good. I haven't truly laughed in over three weeks.

"Dude, I wasn't 'growlring' and 'glraring' at air. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all," I try to insure through the laughter. Sasuke HATES being mocked, so I'm not surprised to hear a "fuck you" followed by mumbled words including "idiot" and "brain cellrus." Ha! Now he's clicking away at his laptop so loudly that it sounds like he's using an old school typewriter. In the past, I would have ribbed him some more, but it's hard to efficiently tease somebody that you feel sorry for. So, I guess I should calm him down before he breaks his computer.

"Considering how hard last semester was I'm not sure if it's smart to take five classes, but I think I can handle it. If not, there's always the summer session. What about you?" I ask nonchalantly, changing the subject. Sasuke instantly goes rigid, and all is deathly silent for several seconds, before he starts typing again with a lot less enthusiasm.

"I have to repeat ebrything that I didn't get an A in, so I'm retaking Engrish, World History, Philrosophy and Business. I'm taking Economics and Speech, too," he says casually, and I almost choke on my spit. I may not be the best at math, but from my count, he's retaking over half of the classes that he already passed with damn good grades. At the rate he's going, he will be near thirty by the time he graduates. How embarrassing it must be to have to face all of the same professors, or tell all of your friends.

"Fuck," I whisper, and Sasuke replies with a resigned sigh and a nod. Just like that, we're both depressed.

'Man, Fugaku is truly one miserable bastard to be able to fuck up people's mood all the way from Japan. No wonder the suicide rate is so high over there. They have to live with him,' I think angrily, and can't stop the mental image of the sun bearing Fugaku's face, with people bursting into tears as his rays hit them. The thought is almost as bad as that "Putin Rears His Head" photo on the internet.

"Ugh," I shiver, snapping myself out of my thoughts. Even though classes won't start until tomorrow, I'm already stressed and exhausted with all of the drama in my life, so I'm overdue for some fun.

Without thinking about it, I send out a group text about grabbing some food, hitting the arcade, and watching a movie. Almost instantly, I get a response from Kiba and Ino saying that they are down. Now, I just need to hear from Shika, Sakura, and Deidara.

"What moobie are we seeing?" Sasuke seem to ask out of nowhere, and I don't even try to stop the slightly puzzled and incredulous look from crossing my face. What the hell? Is he reading my thoughts or something?

"What are you talking about?" I ask confusedly, and can practically feel Sasuke's irritation. After a quick stare-fest, Sasuke holds up his phone, showing the same text message that I sent out not even ten minutes ago. Apparently, I had lumped his number under my "friends" group. Well, shit! I can't really say that that text wasn't meant for him, and he's not welcome to come. Well, I can, but it would be a total douche move. Why would he want to come anyway? Sure, we went out that one time, but he's never hung out with my friends. Is he that bored? Are all of his friends busy? What the hell?

"Nebermind," Sasuke says after some time, turning back to his computer. That one word pulls me out of my musings, and I can't help but to feel like a giant asshole.

"Oh, naw, it's cool, dude! I just wasn't sure if you were serious about wanting to go," I reply quickly. For some reason, getting him to not feel as though he's uninvited is important to me. It's funny, but when I first met the guy, I wanted nothing more than to pound his face in. Now, I feel as though I need to watch over him.

"I'm really not sure what we're going to see. We usually don't decide until we get there, and that can take a full half-hour, if Sakura and Ino are being particularly stubborn," I add on, and then receive a series of texts in rapid succession as though it was planned.

"Cool, everybody's in. Looks like we'll be meeting at 4:30pm on Main Street."

"Alright, so how do y'all want to do this? Do you want to eat first, see the movie, or go to the arcade?" Sakura asks everyone as we huddle in front of Joanie's Café Express. Surprisingly, besides a few second glances, no one made a big deal about Sasuke tagging along. Weird.

"I'm starving! I say we eat first," Kiba speaks up, and I am in total agreement. By the looks on Shika's and Dei's faces, we're all on the same page. Sasuke doesn't look like he cares either way, and his silence supports my assumption.

"Well, I guess that part's settled," Sakura replies wryly, and I can't help but to wonder if she just wanted to argue.

"Ha! Are you really surprised? You should know by now that these bottomless pits will always choose food when given the option," Ino cut in with a laugh, before turning to Sasuke.

"Well, excluding present company. This one seems to actually chew his food like a normal human being," she adds with a not-so-innocent wink, and Sasuke immediately gains pigment. Damn it, is this going to be how the entire night is going to go?

"Jeez Ino, flirt once we're not standing out in 20 degree weather," Sakura quickly scolds before turning to the rest of us, "Where do you guys want to eat?"

"Burger King."

"McDonald's."

"Taco Bell."

"Pizza Hut."

"Subway."

Everyone speaks at the same time, and my stomach instantly starts growling. It already knows that dinner is now going to be pushed back for another hour as we all debate over this, apparently, perplexing decision. Fuck!

"Hab you tried Aoi Oi Sushi?" Sasuke finally speaks up, disrupting our group glare and stare-off.

"Isn't that the new place over on 3rd and Pine Lane?" Deidara asks, and both Sasuke and Shika nod. Hmm, Sushi sounds good right about now, and I heard great stuff about the joint; I just haven't found the time or a reason to go.

"I'm game. I've been meaning to check that place out anyway," I announce, and everyone more or less nods their approval. Poor Kiba looks as though his stomach is tickling his spine, so we should probably get a move on it.

"Okay, there's no point in all of us driving over. So, who's playing chauffer?"

Oh, for the love of God!

"Wow, no wonder this place is so crowded! That was the best chirashi I've ever had!" Sakura announces as she leans back in her chair, scooting her very empty bowl away. I can barely see over my two stacks of tiny porcelain plates, but from the looks of things, everybody is about ready to burst.

"Yeah, my nigiri was awesome. The fish was so fresh that I wonder if they killed it right before they put it on my plate," Ino adds flippantly, yet my stomach lurches at the mention of fish and killing. Usually, nothing gets to me, but that summer Jii-Jii Jiraiya took me salmon fishing ruined me for life, and that's all I'm going to say on that.

"You should have tried my inari. Man, that shit was good," Kiba joins in while patting his stomach, and almost instantly, both girls round on him.

"Like hell I should have tried your Inari! You were food guarding like it was your job!" Sakura starts.

"Yeah, no kidding! I reached for a small piece, and you almost bit my damn hand," Ino joins. Meanwhile, Sasuke and Shikamaru are talking about something in pure Japanese. Sasuke's accent never lets me forgets his heritage, but I almost always forget that English isn't Shika's first language.

"You know, that's really rude, hm. We have no idea what the fuck you're saying," Deidara declares quite loudly, and I can tell that he's pissed. He hates not knowing what's going on, especially if it isn't necessary.

"My bad, man. We were just talking about the owner of this place. The world is smaller than it appears. My family and his family had a somewhat working relationship back home," Shika informs, and Kiba is rooting for free food, before Shika can even finish his sentence. I hate to admit it, but I'm thinking the same thing. Whoever invented the phrase "poor college student" wasn't kidding. For the first time in my life, I have negative money.

"That is so cool. Thanks for suggesting this place, Sasuke. You've proven yourself useful, so I may have to keep you around," Ino says to Sasuke, and true to form, he looks like a beet. I guess he's not used to girls being as forward as my sister. Hell, I'm not used to girls being as forward as my sister.

"Okay, we need to make a decision before we head back into the cold. What movie are we going to see?" Sakura speaks up, and a collective groan erupts from the table. Up until now, Sasuke seemed perfectly content with silently watching our antics, but now he seems a bit annoyed with our indecisiveness.

"I don't care eiber way. Just pick something," he replies, and I can't agree more. Of course, it's not going to go that smoothly, because Kiba and Sakura must conduct their movie ritual, starting now.

"I say we go see 'Little Fockers.' I could use a good laugh."

"What the… that is so immature. I say we go see 'Blue valentine.' There's nothing like a good romance when it's cold outside."

"Aww, hell naw! Why do you always pick the sappiest, girliest shit?"

"Because I am a girl. DUH!"

"Well, I don't have a vag…"

And for the next ten minutes, this is all we hear. If left to their own devices, we won't make it to the movies for another week, no exaggeration. Ugh! I'm breaking this up!

"All in favor of a vote," I say quickly and loudly. Deidara and I vote for "Little Fockers" and Ino votes for "Blue Valentine." All eyes are now on Shika, and Kiba is already claiming victory. But, Sakura is giving him the 'eyes,' the very same eyes she use to give me. He doesn't stand a chance. He's toast!

"Blue Valentine," Shikamaru announces, and Sakura cheers, while Kiba looks like someone told him that there isn't a Santa Claus. All I wanted was a fun and relaxing night out with my friends, but hell is determined to not let it happen.

"Okay, that brings us to a draw, but luckily, Sasuke is here. Besides, since he's new, it's only fair that he gets to choose," Ino speaks, and all eyes turn to Sasuke. Both Ino and Sakura are giving him 'the look', but he doesn't even hesitate.

"Rittle Fockers," he says, and for once, I have never been happier that he is such a douche than I am now. Thank you, God!

"Alright, I gotta give it to you guys. That movie wasn't bad at all," Ino says as we walk out of the theatre. All of us guys are still laughing at our favorite parts, but Sakura is sore.

"Oh, stuff it, Ino! You're just happy, because you spent the whole movie attached to Sasuke's arm," she dissed, and Deidara almost chokes on his pop at the look on Ino's face.

"Well, at least I have the balls to make a move. At the rate you're going, I'm going to have grandkids by the time you get a new man," Ino shoots back.

"Burn!" Kiba yells in hysterics, while Shika is being suspiciously quiet. Shit, I see that **I** have to diffuse this.

"Can we please just go to the arcade while we're ALL still young?" I snap, and get twin hmphs for my effort. They're now strolling along together, happily talking shit about me, and I'm left wondering what the hell did I do.

"Thanks for taking one for team," Kiba pats me on the back, before three other pats join in. Well, at least someone appreciates me.

"Damn it, I can't believe the same people are here. Don't they have a life?" I say, and my table just laughs harder. Just like I thought, word spread fast that I got my ass royally kicked at laser tag, and I have been the ass of every joke for the past twenty minutes. Three different groups of people came over here just to retell the story of how great Sasuke was and how much I sucked. Fuck my life!

"Whoa, you have a black belt in karate? You should show me some moves some time. I can use them to kick their asses," Ino says while pointing at Deidara and me. For a second, Sasuke looks contemplative, then immensely relaxed.

"I charge for pribate lessons," he replies coolly, and the look of shock on Ino's face is priceless. Of course, it doesn't last long, especially when she feels challenged.

"Fine, fine. I don't mind paying to get a little closer to you," she says in a low voice, leaning in to Sasuke's personal space. Like always, his face tints red, but what happens next, nobody is prepared for.

"Well, why don't you get close to me now?" Sasuke responds, and then pulls her into his lap before we can even process that something happened. Immediately, Ino starts squirming to get up, but his hands are locked on her hips. To that, I don't know what to say. I feel so strange. A glance at Deidara reveals that I'm not alone.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to get close?" Sasuke slyly inquires, and for the first time ever, Ino's face is the color of our mom's hair. But, that doesn't deter Sasuke.

"Well? Isn't that what you were hinting at?" He continues with his hands steadily roaming. You can practically hear a pin drop at our table.

"Okay, you got me. I was coming on strong. What can I say? It's in my blood. We Yamanaka are flirts. But, don't get it twisted. We aren't whores, so no getting close on the first date," Ino finally responds, before calmly removing the Uchiha's hands from her waist. Then, without missing a beat, she snatches Sakura out of her chair, and drags her to the women's bathroom.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, incredulously, the minute I find my tongue. Deidara is looking quite murderous, so Sasuke better get his talk on.

"I was just fucking with her the way she fucks with me," he answers, and both Deidara and I deflate a bit. To be honest, she had it coming.

"Way to go, Sasuke! I've never seen anyone back Ino down, let alone make her blush. You're free to hang out with me anytime," Kiba declares while laughing at Ino's expense. At that, we all laugh. She more than had it coming.

"All jokes aside, I think Ino has a thing for you, hm. She may be a flirt, but had any other guy touched her like that, they would be unconscious right now," Deidara speaks up, and Shikamaru is not far beyond.

"That, and she seems to be fixated on you. She usually pesters people until she get a rise or two, but it's never ending with you," he states. The conversation is then cut short, because we see the girls walking over and laughing. But, somehow, Deidara is able to speak before they are in earshot.

"Don't fuck over my sister."

The rest of the night went along great. We all had a good time and Sasuke fit in just fine with my friends. But, now that we are back at the dorms, certain things are bothering me. For starters, Ino seems genuinely interested in Sasuke, but I know for a fact that he won't date anything but a Japanese girl. So, why is he even indulging her? More importantly, why is he indulging anybody when his ass is engaged? Fuck this, I've never been one to beat around the bush.

"Yo, Sasuke, what's up with you and Ino? What happened to your Asian only rule?" I ask quite bluntly, and Sasuke lets out a bark of laughter, silencing me.

"Afraid I'm going to fuck your sister?" He replies, and I'm up and out of my bed before I even know what I'm doing.

"Look, if you…" I start.

"Calm down, moron. I'm just fucking with you," he interjects, but I don't see the humor, and my face lets that be known. His smirk drops, and finally we're on the same page.

"It's compricated," he replies with a sigh, while pinching the bridge of his nose, before continuing.

"I date Japanese because it's easier. No one stares or says rude shit. My kids won't get treated like shit, and I won't hab to worry about tainting the Uchiha blrood," he adds, and I remember the story of his first love. Thinking about how he's basically forced to stay with his "own kind" takes a lot of the anger out of me. Clearly, the dude isn't a racist, but he does have a fiancé. I can't speak on that though. I'm not supposed to know.

"So, you were serious about hanging out with Ino next week?" I ask, remembering the pseudo date that they set up. Apparently, she was being honest when she said that she wanted to learn some martial arts, but there's a hell of a lot of touching involved, so I want to know what's going on.

"Yeah, we're supposed to meet next week. Is that okay?" Sasuke responds, and his seeking my approval surprises me. I search his face to see if he's being sarcastic, but he just stares back with that super young look, and I can't tell whether he wants me to say yes or no. One thing is for sure, my answer seems to be of high importance to him.

"It's cool," I reply, and like that, the spell is broken. Neither of us speak any further as we prepare for bed. Man, where is Itachi when you need him?


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews, guys! I'm glad people care enough to tell me what they think. I hope to finish this story by the end of this month, so that's a chapter a day! Your feedback definitely replenishes my motivation, because it takes a lot to post as quickly as I have been doing recently. Thanks! ^_^

**Chapter 11**

"You should be happy that I'm not going to be around this weekend. Now, you won't hab to jerk off to your posters in the labatory," Sasuke says with a smirk, and I'm quite tempted to punch his ass in the face. He's been taking shots at my reduced sex life for the past few weeks, and now even Keebs and Dei are in on it.

"Fuck you, dude. Just because I don't bang everything with legs and a vag doesn't mean that I don't get any. Besides, your flock seems to be a little scarce right now, too," I say, and the minute that I see his smirk widen, I know that I just fucked up.

"That's because I get mine in one place," he replies, and I instantly throw my empty, Solo cup at his head. He dodges it with his quick reflexes, and then laughs like hell at my expense, the little bastard.

"I already told you about saying shit like that about my sister. I tolerate your perverted ass, but let Dei hear you saying any of that, and you're going to a eunuch," I reply angrily, but Sasuke just laughs more, causing me to unwillingly smile and shake my head at his antics. It's strange, but we've become so close since we hung out at the beginning of the semester. He's sort of become like the brother I never knew I was missing. I mean, I've always had Kiba, Shikamaru, Deidara and Chouji around, but this is the first time that I have built a bond with someone without another person's influence. It's still so strange to hear "Naruto's friend," "we met through Naruto" or just **your **in any context. That's why sometimes I lay awake at night just taking it all in. I've made this great friend, but is he really my friend? If I had never met Itachi, I swear I wouldn't even think twice about it. But, considering everything and everyone that's involved, I have to think about it, especially with the amount of time that he spends with Ino.

You see, after they hung about a month ago, they have been practically inseparable. Oddly, it started with Ino getting karate lessons, but it has since grown into something more. I was not joking when I said that Sasuke's flock has dwindled. Not ONE girl has been to this dorm looking for him in at least two weeks, and now he and Ino are about to spend Valentine's weekend together. At first, I was leery about his intentions, but I haven't seen anything in his actions that seem devious or deceptive. Believe me, I was watching EVERYTHING that he said or did, and was getting nowhere. So, to pull myself out of limbo, and feel a bit better about the situation, I tried to reconcile the fact that he has a secret fiancé with the fact that he was forced into it. That worked for a hot second, but then I got an "anonymous" slip of paper that said, "Watch your sister," on it, five days ago. Now, I don't know what the hell to think. If it comes out that he's pulling some shit, it would hurt like hell, but I'm fine with it as long as it only involves me. If Ino gets pulled into it, I have a serious, serious problem with that. So, instead of going on a quest for ass during Valentine's weekend like every other single dude, I will be meeting with Itachi as soon as the coast is clear. Dear God, I hope that this is nothing.

"Was your lazy ass going to just leave me out there knocking on the door?" Ino asks from behind me, and slowly I turn around to see her staring at me with a mock glare. It doesn't reach her eyes at all, which has been an ongoing thing since she's been hanging around Sasuke. Seeing my sister so happy that she can't get angry properly should make me happy, but at the moment, it just stings.

"Why should I get up? You're never over here to see **me**," I reply, and immediately, Ino's arms are my neck as she's gripping me in a bear hug from behind.

"Aww! You missed your big sister, didn't you? No need to get jealous; you're still my little bumblebee!" She says, and I quickly look in Sasuke's direction. His amusement is openly displayed with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow, and I just want to crawl under a rock and die.

"Come on, Ino, get off! You're worse than mom!" I yell, but she just squeezes harder until I give in. Luckily, her attention span is shorter than mine, so she loses interest a moment later.

"Hey, stand up for a sec. I have something to show you," she says while getting into a fighting stance. The last time we went down this path, my dick was black and blue for three days.

"Forget it! You're not tricking me into being your punching bag again," I reply, and then promptly turn around. Unfortunately, she _really_ wants to "show" me her moves.

"Oh, don't be a baby. I barely touched you that time," she rebuts, and Sasuke joins in.

"Yeah, it's not lrike your using it for anything," he adds, and I seriously just want to kick both of them out right now. Dealing with them one on one is trying enough. Dealing with a tag team is unbearable.

"Whether I'm using my dick or not doesn't justify her kicking me in the nuts as hard as she can. There are plenty of weirdoes out there that they will pay good money for that type of thing. I'm not one of them," I argue, not budging on my stance in the slightest. For a few hours after kick-gate, I seriously thought that I had been sterilized. Human nuts have no business swelling to the size of oranges.

"Naruto, I swear that I'm not going to kick you again, honest. All I want you to do is try to grab me. That's all, I promise," Ino responds with great amusement, and I quickly realize that she's not going to leave until I do what she wants. So, slowly, I rise from my chair and approach her. Her eyes are practically sparkling as I get closer, and before I can think, 'Oh shit,' I'm sailing through the air, and then landing hard and flat on my back. I can hear Sasuke's loud and continuous laughter as the room spins around my head, and shortly after, Ino is standing over me, beaming.

"I'm badass, aren't I?" She asks with visible pride, and all I can think of is the many ways that I would like to kick Sasuke's ass. Ino has been fucking Deidara and me up since childhood, now this bastard is adding to her arsenal?

"Don't y'all have somewhere to be?" I say from my spot on the floor, and that bitch, Sasuke, is still laughing. Ino joins in as she lifts me up as though I'm short, and I can't help but to feel like my precious male pride is deteriorating into nothing. Maybe I should just sprout a vag now, while I still have my dignity.

"We're going, we're going. I promise not to be too rough with him… Well, I promise that he'll return in one piece," Ino declares salaciously, and my stomach instantly flips. Why does my mind have to supply a visual with every damn thing I hear?

"Ugh! Keep that shit to yourself! I do NOT want to know about your sex life! Ugh!" I yell with my eyes closed and my hands over my ears. I'm not sure how serious she is, because I've heard more than one guy refer to her as a cock tease, but I don't even want to hear jokes about it. Yuck!

"Oh, shut up! You were banging my best friend for years. Do you know how strange it was trying to talk about sex with her, and all she kept telling me about were the stuff that you two were doing together?" Ino shoots back and I can feel the heat on my face rivaling that of Hell's Gates. Just what in the hell did Sakura say about me?

"Don't worry, it was mostly good stuff, you little freak," Ino adds with a wink, before I can voice my concern, and my face is instantly ten degrees warmer. I swear that I'm going to kill Sakura the next time that I see her. This is so embarrassing!

"Take care," Ino says, and then kisses my cheek, partially interrupting my inner workings.

"See you on Monday, dumb ass," Sasuke adds as he and Ino walks out. I'm then left with my thoughts, and unfortunately, they quickly turn to more serious matters. All I can do now is wait for Itachi's call.

That bastard kept me waiting all weekend, only to call at ten o'clock at night on Sunday, saying to meet him early Monday at Luigi's, and to bring more of "that cake." You see, three weeks ago, Ti-Temari sent me a slice of her famous pineapple upside-down cake, and I had plans to eat it after class. But, before I even got a chance to smell it, it came up missing. Of course, I accused Sasuke and was ready to beat his ass, but he just cursed me out, and reiterated how much he hates sweets. I couldn't really argue, because it was true. His version of sweets included tomatoes, and he once referred to Oreos as diabetic crack. So, if it wasn't him, and none of my family or friends had been over, who was it? I couldn't figure it out, so I had convinced myself that I had ate it, and forgot about it. Now, here comes this bastard not only admitting to the fact that he broke into my dorm and ate my damn cake, he had the audacity to request some more? Man, Sasuke wasn't bullshitting about his brother's addiction.

In one of the rare times that I got him to talk about his family, he mentioned how he and Itachi were like night and day. One of the things that he stressed was Itachi's love of sugar. In fact, he claimed that Itachi added sugar to Lucky Charms and Frosted Flakes, and was banned from making the ceremonial green tea, because he added sugar to it until it practically turned to syrup. I thought he was exaggerating, but now, I'm not so sure.

'He better appreciate this shit,' I think as I reposition the still warm cake as I walk into Luigi's. Ti-Temari gave me an earful about waiting till the last minute and giving her such short notice. She cursed me out from the time she pulled out the flour until she placed the cake box in my hand. Happy fucking Valentine's Day!

"How many?" The receptionist asks as I walk in, and after I answer, she leads me to a mini-booth that is shaped like a heart with pink, frilly cushions covering it. Aww hell naw!

"Oh, I'm sorry, you must have misunderstood. I just want a regular table," I say quickly, and she tilts her head slightly, reminding me of Kiba and Akamaru.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're all full, because of Valentine's Day. The only reason this table is even available is because a couple cancelled at the last minute," she replies, and I can feel the dread covering my face. Just what in the hell is becoming of my life? Why am I spending Valentine's Day with another man that I barely even know, and am not even sure that I even like, while everybody else is off getting ass? This is so not fair!

"I'll take it," I say dejectedly, and the receptionist just smiles and walks off. I'm not sure how long I was waiting, but one second no one is across from me, I blink, and then the next, Itachi is there. What the fuck?

"Did you bring it?" He asks in all seriousness, and for a moment, I'm a bit confused. Then, I remember the cake sitting next to me, so I dazedly hand it without a word. Just like that, his face and attention is only for that cake. I feel like a pusher.

"Dude, knock yourself out. I'm going to take a leak," I announce as I get up, and then head to the bathroom. I'm trying to handle my business, but there's an old dude staring at my junk harder than me.

"Do you mind?" I ask, and I'm met with a wide smile on a toothless mouth. Yup, that's my cue. I stop my flow, and then move two urinals down. I try to rush it a little bit, but it still takes longer than I would like.

'Come on,' I think as I bemoan my enlarged bladder. Finally, I can shake off, wash my hands, and get down to business.

'Man, this place _is _crowded. Where's my booth?' I think as I look over the mass of people. I then spot long hair and pink cushions, before heading over. I am met with an empty box without even a piece of a crumb in it.

"Where in the hell did that cake go?" I ask loudly and incredulously as I look from the box to the Uchiha. Itachi's eyes widen considerably, and I swear he looks like he's ten.

"You were expecting some?" He asks casually with a hint of surprise in his voice, and I'm having a hard time comprehending what the hell just happened.

"Wait a minute, you ate an entire cake in 3.5 minutes? Did you even chew it? Hell, did you even taste it? You know what, I'm taking you to an AA meeting for sugar people, because that is not normal or healthy. Somebody should have been done something about this, because you have a serious problem. But, I can't focus on that right now. There are more important matters to attend to, like your fucked up father, and apparently, my sister. So, let's get to it," I reply, and Itachi just raises the corners of his mouth slightly. It takes me a minute to realize that that's the extent of his smile.

"Do you not find the amount of time that Sasuke spends with your sister peculiar?" Itachi finally speaks softly, and my brow immediately furrows. I see he's cutting straight to the chase this time.

"At first, I did, but I couldn't find anything to back up my worries, so I dropped it. Was I wrong?" I reply calmly. I learned from last time that Itachi does things in his own way, at his own pace, so there's no point in me trying to hurry him along. I know that he has something to tell me, or else he wouldn't have dragged me here.

"Never drop your guard when my father is involved," he answers, and even though his face hasn't changed, I can see him warring with himself, internally. Most people wouldn't see it, but I live with an Uchiha, so it's as clear as day to me.

"Itachi, I know that you didn't call me out here just to say that," I say after several quiet minutes, "Man, I get it. You love your little brother, and you don't want to do anything to hurt him. But, understand that I love my sister just as much. Ino's a good person, and doesn't deserve this shit. So, if you have ANY information that you think that I need to know, please tell me," I plead, and Itachi's brow furrow almost unnoticeably, before regaining its placidness. All is silent for several more minutes, but then, Itachi speaks.

"Your friend, Kiba Inuzuka, is a world class hacker, correct?" He says, and I just nod quickly. He then nods as well.

"You may want to take a look at Sasuke's and my father's email correspondence," he adds, and I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. I can't even begin to state how grateful I am to him. Many people in my situation may get angry that he didn't just say what was going on, but I totally get it. It's hard to directly sell out people that you love; regardless as to how wrong they are, so he gave me the tools that I needed to do it myself. That's more than I think that I would be able to do in the same situation.

"Thank you," I say, and somehow, I convey my emotions in just those two words. Itachi's only response is a slight bow of his head. With that, I get up to leave, but am stopped once more.

"I am perfect in all of Sasuke's imperfections, just as he is perfect in all of mine," Itachi states, cryptically, and I'm lost, for a moment. It makes no sense to me, and seems completely out of context, but I nod anyway, and then head out. I have to talk to Kiba and Shikamaru right away.

'Damn it, Shika,' I think as I quickly make my way to his residence hall. I sent him and Kiba texts saying to meet me at the lounge, and Kiba responded right away. However, I got nothing from Shikamaru, which is strange, because though he's lazy as shit, he usually brings his A game when it matters.

'Aww, don't tell me he's asleep!' I think as I get to his room, and notice that his door is slightly ajar and all of the lights are out. So, without thinking much about it, I walk in and flick the switch. On the bed, Shikamaru is quite diligently fucking Sakura, and I can see EVERYTHING, because they clearly don't like to use covers.

"Oh my… Whoa! I'm… I'm sorry… I didn't… it's not that… I'll come back… I'll come back later!" I say quickly before my mind is stunned into utter blankness. My eyes burn like hell, so I walk out into the hallway, and rest the back of my head against the, now, closed door. My vision is blurring, so I quickly shut my eyes to stop the inevitable.

'Come on, Naruto, man up! You knew that this day was coming,' I say as my eyelashes dampen, and I squeeze my eyes closed even tighter. It takes a few moments, but I stop the flood. It's just in time, too, because I can hear Sakura calling my name on the other side of the door. After taking a deep breath, I walk back in.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I…" Sakura says as she runs up to me in a t-shirt that hangs past her knees. The moment she's within arm's reach, she latches onto my neck in a gripping hug. For a split second, I enjoy the contact, but then I untangle her arms, grab her shoulders, and put some space between us. Shikamaru has conveniently disappeared into the bathroom, and I can hear the shower going at full blast. It's now or never.

"What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong. Shika didn't do anything wrong," I say, and a look of pure confusion crosses her face, mingling with the sadness. Tears are covering her face, and I watch one slowly roll down her cheek as she stares at me with her mouth slightly open.

"You say that, but…" she speaks softly, letting the sentence hang as she reaches up to face. She pulls her hand back with a single tear on the tip of finger, and I realize that I let one slip through. I never could hide anything from her.

"I admit, it hurts like a bitch," I reply, and she flinches slightly, "but it was bound to happen, be it ten or twenty years from now. I have loved you for so long that even the thought of breaking up with you made me question my sanity. But, no matter how I sliced it, I knew that it was for the best. We meant too much to each other to be just man and woman. We were best friends, lovers, siblings, partners and everything in between, so we worked well together. We worked perfectly together. But, the mysteriousness and passion that comes with figuring out a new person and finding ways to compromise was lost to us. I was perfectly fine with taking the comfort route, but I know that you wanted more, and would have eventually gotten bored with me, so I backed off. The day I broke up with you, I was barely keeping it together, so I couldn't express myself the way that I wanted to. For that, I should be apologizing to you," I conclude, and am fixated on how she is biting her lower lip. I want to kiss her so badly, but I don't.

"For so long, I wondered what the hell went wrong. I cried myself to sleep for weeks after you broke up with me, because I had lost my everything. Like you said, we meant so much to each other, and in one day, I lost it all," Sakura starts and I am shaking my head in the negative, but she silences me with a raised hand.

"For some reason, you always thought that I was so great, even though everyone else just saw me as the girl with the big forehead and boyish figure. That's why I turned you down for so many years. I couldn't take your declarations seriously; it's hard to accept a compliment when you don't believe them yourself. But, over time, your persistence made me think that maybe I was pretty, maybe I was sexy, maybe I could compete with the likes of Ino Yamanaka in the dating game. You see, you gave me the confidence that I had been lacking for years, and set my standards for a boyfriend so high that I am almost afraid that I'll never be able to meet them. I owe so much to you and your family. Ino made me feel like a human, and you made me feel like a woman. Therefore, if you saw something in me that made you think that I would hurt you one day, I am truly grateful that you ended it, because if I had of hurt you in any way, I would not have been able to live with myself. So, thank you, Naruto," she finishes, and I avert my gaze to the ground.

Sakura could always get to me like no other, and that hasn't changed. Honestly, I don't know what to say. I never knew that she thought so highly of me. It is both humbling and gratifying. I had always tried to convince myself that I was worthy of being with her, and for the first time ever, I feel like I was. I guess there really is nothing to say to that.

Slowly, I meet her gaze, and just take her in. Her face is reddened and tears are drying into her cheeks, but her eyes are bright as she is quickly scanning my face for any reaction. Something about the look just screams, "Sakura," and I can't help but to smile. Immediately, she's smiling twice as big as I am, and before I know it, I have two armfuls of her. It feels so good; the warmth, the softness and just how easily her body melds to mine. I can stand here like this all day, but I don't.

"You have your work cut out for you; Shikamaru is the laziest person that I know. But, I'm sure you can whip him into shape, you did have to deal with me for two years. Just make sure that you save a few brain cells. Uncle Inoichi kind of needs them," I say, and I feel her body shake against mine in laughter. I let go.

"Kiba and I will be waiting for you in the lounge," I call out now that the water has stopped running. I hear Shikamaru shuffling around in there, so I know that he got message. With nothing more to say, I leave.

"That son of a bitch!" Kiba yells as his hands close into fists, and though Shikamaru remains silent, his eyes are very much alive. I have only told them the most basic of information, keeping implications against Sasuke to a minimum, and leaving Itachi out completely. But, the situation is so fucked up that even the surface reveals the seriousness of what's going on. I don't even know what I'm about to uncover.

"That's why I want you to get into Sasuke's email account. If Fugaku is up to something, he may have hinted at it to Sasuke," I state, and don't miss how Shikamaru's eyes narrow slightly. Shit! Stop analyzing me, Shika!

"Alright, I'll hack into that shit right now!" Kiba announces and then pulls out his iPhone. With just a few clicks, Sasuke's email is open for all to see. I see a few Kanji, before Shika takes the phone from Kiba's grasp.

"I'll translate," he says.

"No!" I yell, and grab the phone from him. I think I scared him before he could see anything, but now I have some explaining to do.

"It has to be me. I'm not completely sure of what's going on, whether or not Sasuke's involved, or if there is even anything going on for him to be involved in. So, I already feel bad that I'm betraying his trust. If I have you two looking at his email, and it turns out to be nothing, I would feel like shit," I declare, and Kiba looks contemplative, but once again, Shika is giving me a blank stare. I ignore it.

"Can you just give me his password, and work with Shika on a text translator?" I ask, and now even Kiba is looking at me. Come on!

"Yeah, no sweat. But, why do I get the feeling that you're hiding something from us? You would never betray a friend without just cause, so don't tell me that it's 'just a hunch'," he replies, and I'm quickly racking my brain for an excuse. Lying has never been my strong suit.

"If Naruto says that he has a hunch, then he has a hunch. I trust that he will tell us, if he gets in over his head," Shikamaru speaks to Kiba, but he's looking at me the entire time. He definitely knows that something is going on, but he trusts me, and that's all that matters to me.

"Here, dude," Kiba says as he hands me a slip of paper with Sasuke's password on it. I try to look down at it, but Kiba cuffs the back of my neck, and makes me look at him.

"I'm going to send the translator as soon as I can. Be careful, man. If it's some shit going on, let us know," he says, and I nod, before he walks off. I can feel Shika staring at me, but I don't turn around.

"Naruto, about earlier…" he begins after a few silent moments, but I quickly cut him off.

"Stop. You don't have to apologize or explain anything to me. I'm just glad that it was you," I say, after finally meeting his gaze. He's clearly trying to see if I'm being honest as he looks over my face, so I let him look. I have nothing to hide. After several seconds, he nods slightly, and I smile before we part ways. The paper feels heavy in my hand, and I quickly look down to take in what's written across it.

'MangekyouSharingan'


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** This update is coming a day late, but I don't mind, because it is the most important chapter of the story, and I had to do it justice. I will try to post twice tomorrow, because as fun as it is to work on this, I need to move on, because my schedule is going to be intense in March. I will probably be able to post some short one-shots if an idea hits me, but I'm done with chaptered fanfiction for a while. In any case, I will be celebrating a completed story tomorrow, _hopefully_. ^_^

**Chapter 12**

'It's about time!' I think as the door shuts behind Sasuke, leaving me alone in our room. Kiba emailed me the translation program on Tuesday, but I haven't been able to do much with it, because I'm trying so hard not to blow my cover. I already feel like a jackass for having to do something this slimy, but more importantly, I need for Sasuke and his bitch father to stay ignorant to the fact that I'm on to them. If I log onto Sasuke's account while he's using it, we'll both be locked out, and Sasuke's going to know that something is up; that's the last thing that I need. Fugaku may not think so, but _both_ of his sons are geniuses, and I don't need a genius snooping around here. Luckily, Sasuke's saddled with two Friday classes, while I have none this semester, and he never takes his laptop with him. I still have to worry about his damn '_keitai_,' but I think that this is the best opportunity that I'm going to get.

'Alright Sasuke, time to reveal the real you,' I think as I walk over to my computer, and access Gmail, quickly punching in Sasuke's username and password. The page loads, and I see a hodgepodge of English and Japanese characters, and for a second, I'm tempted to just log back out and exit the page. I already know that I'm not going to like what I'm about to see, and besides that, I'm likely about to see blatant betrayal from a person that could have easily become my best friend under different circumstances. Fuck, I need to man up. My family is on the line.

I click a few buttons and my screen grays before a box pops up with "initializing" emblazoned across it, then after 10 seconds or so, Sasuke's email homepage looks no different from my own. I don't know how Kiba cooked this up so fast, but babel-fish has nothing on this.

'Are you kidding me?' I think as I see that there are over 10,000 emails in Sasuke's inbox. What the fuck? You would think that a neat freak like him would manage his account better than this. More importantly, how in the hell am I supposed to find the emails to and from his father? Fuck my life! By the time that I scroll through all of these pages, cancer will be cured and Fugaku will be the face of biotechnology.

Without much of a choice, I start from the top, and quickly read over the sending addresses and subject lines. I actually get five pages in, before I notice that there are different icons next to each sender. Feeling like the king of all dumb asses, I look over at his left sidebar, and see an entire row of folders. The very first one is titled 'Father.'

'Damn, maybe I am stupid. Maybe everybody else saw what I couldn't see all of these years,' I mentally berate myself as I click on the folder. Starting from the date that Sasuke and I met until now, there are 287 emails between him and his father; I read them all. Like Itachi said, my and my family's names are scattered throughout them, but only a few are of particular importance to me.

_**09/13/2010**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke,_

_Make nice with that Namikaze kid. I believe that that neuro-chip, the SPSC65, is the key to unlocking a lot of the mystery behind some of the major diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. If Uchiha Corporations can get exclusive access to it, there will be a lot of prestige coming our way, and the Uchiha name will become synonymous with God in the biotechnology field. So, get in good with him any way you can._

_**09/13/2010**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Father,_

_That guy is a total moron, so I highly doubt that he has any pull in Yamanaka Enterprise. Besides, we're not on the best of terms. We nearly got into a fight earlier today, and I had been here less than an hour._

_**09/14/2010**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_You truly have a low capacity for knowledge, and it utterly embarrasses me that you're my son at times. I can't help but to wonder whether you suffer from some unknown birth defect that hinders your brain from working properly, because it's quite clear that you can't comprehend simple logic. Since I now realize that I'm not working with very much, I guess I'll take the time out of my busy day to explain it in as simple of terms as possible. One, people with a low level of intelligence are easy to manipulate. Two, your roommate, nephew of the head of Yamanaka Enterprise, is of low intelligence. Connect the dots._

_Also, what is this about you almost getting into a fight? I've spent thousands of dollars trying to find a university to accept you, and had to settle for a little shithole in the backwoods of America. I swear that if you're relapsing into your previous ill behaviors, I will ship your ass back over here, before you have the chance to mentally form a protest. Do I make myself clear?_

_**09/15/2010**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Yes sir. I apologize for my behavior, and I promise that it won't happen again. Naruto seems too friendly for his own good, so I'll use that to my advantage, and get access to the SPSC65._

_**11/25/2010**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke,_

_You have not sent me your weekly correspondence regarding the Yamanaka. I require an update on the situation at once._

_**11/27/2010**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke,_

_This is the last time that I am going to request your compliance. Send me the damn update._

_**11/28/2010**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_I apologize, father, I haven't checked my email in a few days, because I spent the American holiday, Thanksgiving, with the Namikaze and Yamanaka. As soon as I get back to my room, I'll send a longer email._

_**11/28/2010**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_You were invited to a family affair? Excellent work, Sasuke. Provide me with the full account, and all of details on how you pulled this off. I'll be standing by._

_**11/28/2010**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Honestly, father, I am uncertain why I was invited. I would like to take the credit for setting everything up, but I didn't even know that Thanksgiving was a major holiday in America. Perhaps my invite came from me tutoring Naruto. He was quite excited about his exam grade._

_As for the break itself, it was kind of fun. We ate lots of food, talked about sports and politics, played cards and board games and went to a play. For the most part, I went under the radar, except for when Naruto's little cousins attached themselves to me, and when Ino saw me naked. That was kind of embarrassing! But, that was pretty much it._

_**11/28/2010**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Have you contracted 'stupid'? That is the only justification that I can produce to explain the level of excrement that just spewed. I do not care that there was "lots of food" or that it was "kind of fun." I need names and faces, ages, likes and dislikes, interests… You say that they discussed politics; well what are their political stances? They talked about sports, well tell me which sports, what teams and which players that they are routing for? I don't want to hear frivolous details that are not going to get me any closer to my goal, so stay focused. Now, you mentioned a person named Ino. Let's begin there._

_**01/04/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke,_

_Do not forget all that we have discussed. It is clear that Ino Yamanaka is quite taken with you, so this should be an easy mission, even for you. Do not fail me._

_**01/11/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Have you made contact?_

_**01/12/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_I spoke to Ino briefly on Sunday, but other than that, no. I haven't left my dorm since I got back on the second. I'm just trying to settle in, so that I can do better this semester._

_**01/12/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_You've been back in America for nearly two weeks, and all you have accomplished is a brief conversation? I swear that your incompetence makes Itachi's defection that much more irritating. Do I need to hire a shadow for you?_

_**01/13/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_No, father, a shadow is not required. I promise to pick up the pace. I'm supposed to be meeting Ino tomorrow at noon for training. I will make more progress then._

_**01/13/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Don't you think that important detail should have been told to me immediately? Are you once again losing yourself to the affections of an American whore? I guarantee you that whatever she offers will not be worth the hell you would endure for crossing me. You will sit in an urn on my mantle before I allow another son of mine to betray me._

_**01/13/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Please, father, forgive me. I swear I'm not trying to betray you. I'm just trying to get everything in order, and make sense of it all. I promise that from now on I will tell you every single detail. Please don't be mad at me!_

_**01/30/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke, how are things coming along with you and the girl?_

_**01/30/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Everything is going fine, father, but I'm not sure what good any of this is doing. Yamanaka-san isn't going to just hand his company over to us, because I'm dating his daughter. I'm already engaged to one girl, and polygamy is not recognized in either country, so I can't just marry into Ino's family's company. What exactly am I doing?_

_**02/01/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_You need not worry about those details. My lawyers are making the final changes to a proposal that will tie up all loose ends. You just need to do your part, which is to get as close to Yamanaka Ino as you possibly can. Do whatever it takes, be it you wine her, dine her, fuck her or some other action. Just do whatever it takes._

_**02/05/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke,_

_I have attached the final version of the proposal. See to it that Yamanaka Ino signs it as soon as possible._

_**02/05/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Father,_

_I've received and read over the proposal, and I see what you mean about it tying up all loose ends; it's airtight. But, I don't quite understand how Ino's signature is going to do any good. It's her father's company, not hers. She has just as much power over Yamanaka Enterprise as I have over Uchiha Corporations._

_**02/05/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_Sasuke, leave the decision-making up to me. We both know that it isn't your strong suit, and it apparently isn't Yamanaka Inoichi's either. As you may already know, Yamanaka Enterprise is considered a sole proprietorship with Yamanaka Inoichi controlling the reigns. However, on the girl's 18th birthday, she was made a partner in the same way that Yamanaka Deidara was made partner two years prior. Her signature is just as good as having her father's._

_**02/05/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Father, this is crazy! If I present this proposal under false pretenses, then we're all going to jail. At least let me present it to Yamanaka-san himself, so that we can claim that he had a full understanding of what he was signing._

_**02/05/2011**_

Fugaku Uchiha to me

_That is unacceptable. The senior Yamanaka would see through the ruse, so it must be his daughter. As for false pretenses, that remains a very gray area. Our lawyers will bury any argument that they produce, so that is of little consequence. Present the proposal as soon as the girl seems receptive, and then contact me immediately._

_**02/10/2011**_

Sasuke Uchiha to Fugaku Uchiha

_Father,_

_I'm going to present the proposal this coming weekend._

I read the proposal, and Sasuke is right, it's airtight. As it is laid out, it comes across as one hell of a deal for both companies. But, Uncle Inoichi once broke down the components and wording of several types of proposals to me, and it's clear as day, if you know what to look for, Uncle Inoichi will be out of a job and Yamanaka Enterprise will become Uchiha Enterprise, if this thing is signed.

My mind is racing with everything that I just read, and I really don't know what to say or do, or where to even begin. It's just too much. I think that I am officially in over my head. But, I don't think that even Kiba and Shikamaru can do much with this. Great, now my leg is buzzing due to my vibrating phone. Is it wrong that I'm happy for the distraction?

'_Naruto, please come over here. I think that I fucked up. I really fucked up!'_

_-Ino_

Aww, shit!

* * *

"Ino, open up!" I yell as I bang on my sister's door. A nanosecond later, I'm pulled inside, and am practically attacked by a hysterically sobbing girl that I only recognize as Ino by the thigh-length blonde hair.

"I'm so stupid! I should have listened to my instincts," she wails against my chest, and I am seriously ready to panic. So many images of what could happen are playing out in my mind in vivid detail that I can barely keep sight of reality. I have to focus before I completely fall apart.

"Ino, tell me that you didn't sign that proposal? Please, tell me that you didn't sign it!" I ask as I forcibly remove her from my body, shaking her slightly. She looks slightly dazed and dumbfounded, but she's slowly coming around.

"Wha?" She asks, and I can't stop my hands from tightening around shoulders even more.

"The proposal, Sasuke's proposal! Did you sign it? When did you sign it? Maybe I can catch him and beat his ass, before he can do anything with it!" I say quickly as I look swiftly around the room as though he's going to emerge from a corner or a crack. Of course, I see nothing, so I focus my eyes back onto Ino's face. I'm just in time to see the look of utter confusion morph into one of rage.

"What the hell are you talking about? What proposal? I didn't see nor sign no damn proposal!" She screams as she takes a step away from me, and just stares. I'm experiencing an emotion that I can't explain. All I know is that it feels as though I've been dowsed with liquid nitrogen; the cool kills the heat, but there's a stinging sensation left behind that seems to hurt more than the initial fire. Okay, I know what this is. It's the false sensation of hope when you know that it's only going to be killed a moment later.

"Ino, you were made a partner of Yamanaka Enterprise," I say calmly, and then add nothing else to it. With hindsight, I will likely think that it made no sense. But, right now, my brain isn't working properly, and it seems perfectly logical that me stating this fact will make Ino understand what I'm talking about. It doesn't.

"What the… How the fuck do you even know that? Besides the public listing that went into the newspaper, my dad told nobody," She replies with heat, and I am struck mute. She's not.

"And what does that have to do with anything? I _know_ that you don't think that I'm making business deals on my father's behalf. Is that why you keep talking about some proposal? Dude, Deidara and I were made limited partners, meaning that we can't say or do shit about the inner working of my dad's company. We are only liable for our initial investment, which is the grand total of one dollar. The only reason my dad even bothered to list us was to build our credit and teach us responsibility. Ugh! Why am I even talking about proposals and Yamanaka Enterprise while my heart is breaking? Just go, Naruto. You can leave, now," she says as she walks over to her bed, and pulls her legs up to her chest. She then rests her head onto her knees, and I watch as her body quakes. I finally take in her appearance, and realize that this is the first time in ages that I've seen her with her hair down. It's an unkempt, stringy, tangled mess, and the lack of makeup highlights the blotchiness of her skin and the puffiness of her eyes. She looks like shit.

"Ino, what's going on? Start from the beginning," I speak quietly as I sit next to my sister, patiently waiting for her to compose herself. I've had a hell of a day, no, hell of a semester, and I am utterly confused. I can feel the numbness building from the tips of my toes and spreading upwards. I really want to succumb to a breakdown, but I can't afford to do that right now. I'm needed.

"In the beginning, everything was fine. Sasuke and I would meet at the dojo, he'd train me, and then we'd just sit around and talk for a while. Then, we started hanging out outside of the dojo, going to the movies, studying and eating dinner together, stuff like that. After a while, he started spending nights over, and I made a crack about him being around as much as a boyfriend. He got all weirded out, before getting serious, asking me questions about how I felt about him, and could I see myself with him. I didn't think anything of it, because he did the same thing when I first kissed him. I figured that was just how he was. I'm so stupid! We became official on the fourth of this month, but kept it quiet, because I was tired of my family's name being gossiped about. He seemed cool with it, so… Oh my god, I get it! He's gay isn't he?" Ino inquires loudly with appalled dismay, and I actually jump, because her mood swing catches me off guard. I would love to lie to her, but I know for a fact that Sasuke isn't gay, and that knowledge is openly displayed on my face. Ino's face immediately contorts back into one of pain and dejection.

"Of course, he isn't gay. No gay dude can handle himself with a woman like _that,_" she speaks, and it takes several moments for me to interpret her meaning. Once I do, it's my turn to have a mood swing.

"You slept with him?" I ask accusingly, and Ino's face just crumbles further, making me flinch at my own insensitivity. Luckily, I don't have to ponder it too hard, because she starts explaining herself.

"Normally, I wouldn't have! I have a three-month rule, and I never break it! Well, until now, and look where it's gotten me," She says quickly, before letting out a tired sigh, and then speaking again.

"Most guys start pestering me for sex on the very first date, so I have no qualms making them wait for three months. If they can't tolerate me for 90 days, then they have no business trying to sleep with me. Luckily, Sasuke didn't seem to mind at all. It was almost as if he preferred it, which made me drop my guard a little bit. So, after spending Valentine's weekend and day together, I figured it would be okay, because we had been hanging out for a whole month, and I had already known him through you. He seemed a bit hesitant at first, saying how I didn't really know him, and I may not like what I find. Damn it, I should have listened, but I didn't! We slept together, and later that night when he thought that I was asleep, he said that he loved me. No guy outside of our family has ever told me that he loved me. Man, love sure does dry up quick, because he broke up with me two days later, the fucker!" She rattled off quickly, almost without pause, before putting her hands over her face, and crying into them. I'm pissed off, but more hurt than anything, because though Ino acts tough, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and feels things deeper than most people do. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

"I'm so stupid! I feel so used!" She cries, and all I can do is wrap my arms around her. I don't think she even notices.

"I just don't get it. What the hell happened in two days? Was it all lies? And, what does he mean that he can't do this? Obviously, he wasn't referring to breaking my heart, because he did that just fine," she says, and once again, I'm a bit confused. I think that I'm developing a phobia over being confused, but I can't focus on it right now.

"Ino, what are you talking about?" I prompt, and anger instantly decorates her face. I'd rather see that than despair.

"Two days after the asshole fucked me and said that he loved me, I was dumped. I was loved on Monday, and then tossed aside on Wednesday! I should have known that something was up on Tuesday when he wouldn't look me in my face, but he always had mood swings like that, so I thought that he would get over it. Wednesday morning he called and asked me to meet him at Joanie's, because he had something important to discuss with me. I crawled out of bed at eight in the morning in the freezing cold, walked a half mile to Joanie's, and still maintained a smile when I met him at our regular table. He just stared at me without blinking for minutes on end. For a second, I thought that he had fallen asleep with his eyes open, but just when I was about to _shake him awake_, he said, 'I can't do this.' He then glanced around a few times, before looking up and saying, 'Fuck this, I can't do this.' After that, he switched over to Japanese, and I don't know what he was saying, or if he was talking to God or Casper the fucking friendly ghost, but I'm quite sure his next words were for me. 'Ino, I think that we should call it quits.' He then just got up and walked out. I tried to call him and talk about it, but he's not taking my calls. He doesn't even go to his usual hangout spots. It's like he's fallen off the face of the Earth," She responds, and then immediately dissolves into tears again. For the first time in months, all of the little factoids that I have collected are starting to make a narrative.

"Am I really that annoying that no one wants to get serious with me? Or, maybe I just suck in bed. I'm not as experienced as other girls are because of my rule, so maybe my lack of skills scared him off. Or, maybe…" Ino berates and questions every little thing about herself, and I can't stand to hear it. No one should be allowed to reduce another person's self-worth to this level, and I'm not going to tolerate it.

"Ino, stop it! There is nothing wrong with you! You're smart, beautiful, kind, honest… You take people as they are, and make _good_ friends wherever you go. You stand up for what you believe in even if it isn't popular or mainstream. You're just as comfortable being the butt of the joke as you are cracking the joke. So many guys have been trying to get to you, but Deidara and I have been showing them the door. You don't need to do this over one guy, even if he says that he loves you. If he's dishonest, you can be sure that an honest one is not too far behind. There's no way that you're going to be alone forever. In the meantime, you have all of us to keep you company," I inform, and Ino looks at me briefly, before lowering her head again. She's hurting now, but I know she'll be fine.

"It's not fair. You treated Sakura like she was gold and Deidara always treats all of his girlfriends well. Am I going to have to cause another scandal by shacking up with one of you in order to get a good guy?" Ino mumbles after I place my arm around her shoulders. Her words shock me so much that I let out a bark of laughter that I didn't know was forming.

"Hey! There's no need to go all incestuous in order to find love. You'll find someone," I reply, and the corners of Ino's mouth rise slightly. It's nowhere near her standard mega-watt grin, but I'll take it for now.

"I have to head back. Maybe we can go out to eat tonight, my treat," I say. I then wait until I get a firm nod, before leaving out. Now, I have a certain bastard to deal with.

* * *

When I walk into my room, Sasuke is standing at my desk, and holding the proposal that I had printed out and left on my keyboard. Normally, I would be kicking myself for my blatant stupidity, but as he looks at me with a look of guarded blankness, I'm just glad that we're on the same page.

"You rat bastard!" I yell, and in three steps, I'm all the way across the room, punching him in the face. I hit him so hard that my knuckle is cut on his tooth even though his mouth is closed. He falls back into the window, before hitting the floor, but he gets up with ease, albeit slowly, and then sits on his bed. There are two streams of blood running from the corners of his mouth, but he does nothing to stop them, and I'm past the point of caring. In fact, I couldn't care less.

"I see that you found out," he says quietly with a wry smirk painted onto his face. I make a mental note of how odd it looks when matched with eyes that seem pained and hollowed out, but that is quickly filed away to be looked at at a later time. I'm too pissed off to focus on little bullshit like that right now.

"Naw, that was making sister cry, you horse's ass! I haven't even begun dealing with that bitch move you and your father tried to pull," I shout back, and Sasuke averts his gaze, looking anywhere but my face. It royally pisses me off, so without even thinking about it, I tightly grip his hair, and force him to look up.

"Don't fucking turn away from me! If you're going to have the audacity to lie and manipulate a guy for months on end, at least have the decency to look him in the face after you have finished pissing on him! Yeah, I know all about it, so having Jimmy the Cricket show up at the last minute doesn't negate shit!" I scream in his face, and I want nothing more than to hit him again. I know that with how close I am, and with the grip that I have on his head, I can break his nose and black both of his eyes with one blow. The only thing that stops me is the single tear that rolls out of the corner of his eye and down the side of his face. I let him go as though I had been burned even though I am still livid.

"You knew allru alrong, huh?" He says quietly with a hint of bitter amusement, more so to himself than to me. For a second, I just stand there and simmer. I'm so heated that I don't think that I can speak clearly.

"Believe me, if I had of known this shit back in September, you would be just now getting out of the hospital. Luckily, Itachi…" I finally start to reply, and Sasuke lets out a loud, bitter back of laughter, before speaking.

"Itachi! Of course! Ha," he says while laughing, yet his eyes are rapidly filling with tears. He appears to be torn between reality and his own little world, so I begin again.

"Itachi came to me back in December and told me about what a bastard your father is, and how he was planning something against my family, so I had Kiba hack into your email account, and provide me with a real-text translator. What the fuck is wrong with you, dude? Are you that weak that you just follow whatever your father orders no matter how fucked up he or his orders are? What the hell, man? Grow a pair!" I say with frustration, tightening my fists to try to relieve some of the returning rage. Sasuke is just staring at the floor shaking his head slightly from side to side as though in a trance.

"That's just lrike Itachi. Let me guess, he toruld you how my father was a tyrant and how shitty my childhood was, huh? He toruld you how my father onry cares about Uchiha Corps, and how he would do anything for success, right?" Sasuke says, while staring at me, but he isn't looking for any real confirmation. His eyes have become nothing but two orbs of liquid, but there is fire behind them.

"Let me tellru the parts that Itachi so conbenientry, left out! The Uchiha were poor rice farmers that just barery made ends meet, so hardry anybody went to school past the ninth grade. But, because my father was the onry boy among both his father's and his uncle's kids, they scraped together what they had, and sent him to a pribate high school. The tuition was too high for them to afford, and they didn't want to tellru my dad, so they borrowed against their property from yakuza. It worked for another semester, but then their crop failed, and they couldn't make the payments. My dad came home to rotting bodies cut into lrittle pieces, scattered across the house in poolrues of congealed blrood. They killrued his parents, his three sisters, his aunt and uncle, and four of their daughters. The onry reason my mom was spared was because she was off helping a neighboring farmer. The minute that the polrice found out that yakuza was inbalbed, they closed the case. My dad had no choice but to torch the house, because he couldn't pay for the cremations. While it was burning, he bowed to bring honor to the Uchiha name. He was determined not to lret them die in bain. So, he worked odd jobs to take care of my mom and pay for unibersity. He then built Uchiha Corps from nothing without any outside help. So, don't you dare judge my father! Would you be any different?" He asks, and I can't even close my mouth, let alone form words. I would love to say that I would be, but I honestly don't know. Even as I'm hearing this, I can't imagine living through something like that, and I think that my silence says it all.

"My mom takes sixteen pillrues a day; anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-anxieties, you name it, she take it. I can't remember eben one night where my dad didn't wake us all up, screaming in his sleep. But, Itachi neber cared either way. It's lrike he feels nothing," Sasuke adds, and finally, the amass of water spills forward, and I quickly realize that this is what it looks like when a person is shattered. There has been a lot of crying going on this week, but I've never seen anything like this in my life. No Oscar or Academy Award nominee can imitate this level of brokenness. I'm seriously wondering if this guy can even be put back together.

"Fuck!" I say exhaustedly as I sit beside him on his bed, letting the back of my head rest against the wall. For several long minutes, I sit in placid, numbed shock, and let Sasuke's sobs create background noise. I'm beyond drained, but I find the energy to wrap my arm around him. Normally, if one man sees another man crying, you follow the man laws, and act as though you don't see it, letting him save face. But, the man laws weren't created with these extremes in mind. Sasuke is seriously hurting, and it's displayed the moment my body makes contact with his, and he promptly collapses into a fetal ball of nothingness. But, I say and do nothing further. Guys don't need empty words and pats on the back. Just being there is more than enough, and I have no plans on leaving any time soon. This goes on for some unknown length of time, but eventually all is silent, yet painfully loud.

"Why didn't you do it?" I ask quietly, and there really isn't any need to explain what "it" is. Sasuke knows what I'm talking about.

"I don't know if you noticed, but my familry is kind of fucked up. My dad is a maniac, my mom is a walking pharmacy, and my onry brother is cold. I didn't want to do that to another familry, and your familry is nice, bery clrose-knit… Fuck! My dad is going to disown me for this," he replies, and then places his hands over his face, running his fingers across his forehead. He's done crying, but I can feel his pain loud and clear.

"This is going to killru him," he adds, and I finally speak up.

"Maybe, but what's worse? Death or leaving him a festering, open wound?" I reply, and my own words are what provide me with clarity. Certain words, phrases and instances resurface, and I finally have the solution.

_"What if I told you that I did it to save them?"_

_"Hn, it would appear that way, but everything is not always as it seems…"_

"_I had a natural gift for just about anything that I attempted, but nothing truly interested me."_

"_I was known for being stoic and apathetic, but Sasuke was vibrant and energetic from day one."_

_"I am perfect in all of Sasuke's imperfections, just as he is perfect in all of mine."_

"Sasuke, when I was eleven years old, I fell and broke my forearm in three different places. The doctors put it in a cast, and sent me on my way. X-rays later showed that it had healed wrong, so they took the cast off, reset the bones, and then put another cast on. Your father is like my arm, but nobody reset him. He is majorly fucked up, dude, and he's been that way for nearly thirty years. They should have sent him to get some serious, serious counseling a long time ago, but society just let him fall through the cracks, and now he is done. You have to stop him at all costs. He started out with good intentions, but he's been walking down this road for so long that he lost himself along the way, and it's only going to get worse. That's what Itachi meant when he said that he defected in order to save you all. He had to counter your father's power in some way in order to keep him under control, but that's as far as his abilities go. He may be a genius at all things, but you said it yourself, he's cold. He can't feel empathy or sympathy. But, even though you both grew up in the same environment, you can. A cold-hearted genius is the last thing that Fugaku needs, because he has enough of that within. He needs someone that can feel and show love, because he can't do it anymore. Sasuke, **you **have to stop your father. You're the only Uchiha left with enough heart to care about him _and_ his goals," I explain. Sasuke remains silent, while looking straight ahead at the wall across from us. I don't avert my gaze.

"You say that as though it's going to be easy. He's stillru my father, and this is going to killru him," Sasuke replies slowly and softly. His words punctuate the gravity of the situation, and just like that, I lose my will to continue staring at him.

"I know," I respond. My eyes stay locked onto my jeans.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** We're in the final stretch! (^_^) Crayonbox, there is no such thing as a crappy review. A true writer enjoys any feedback that he or she gets, because it shows that at minimum, somebody is reading the work. Hits show that people are clicking on the story, but they may have read one sentence, and then closed their browsers. So, I'm glad that you're enjoying my work! Kanazerosukenaru, sorry girl, but as a straight woman, I like for my men to be straight as well. I'm not into unrequited love, lol. But, honestly, I'm not anti-yaoi; I just choose not to write it, because there are hardly any stories highlighting close, loving, male _friendships_ without somebody having to be gay. Yes, there are gay men, but there are straight ones, too. Therefore, I think that the disproportionate amount of stories focusing on gay, male friends versus straight, male friends sends a toxic message to our male populace about how close they can or can't be with other guys, which can breed homophobia in the weak-minded. Heaven forbid they do something that makes society think that they are gay (-_-). But, that's just my opinion. I'm going to stop here so that this note doesn't become longer than the chapter. Once I finish this story, I will post an editorial explaining all of the intricacies of this plot, and my thought processes behind them. So, without further ado…

**Chapter 13 **

"Naruto, I don't know how you pulled this off, but this is one hell of a proposal. This will not only give Yamanaka Enterprise access to the Japanese market, but to Uchiha Corporation, its subsidiaries and all of its current and future partners with our only concession being limited distribution of the SPSC65 to Uchiha competitors for the next five years. This is almost too good to be true. Excellent work! Are you certain they will sign it?" Uncle Inoichi praised after he read over the new proposal, once, twice and then a third time. He's always been a hard guy to impress, so I'm a little embarrassed that he's going all out on the compliments, especially when I don't fully deserve them.

"Um, I kind of had a blueprint to work from, and _a lot _of help from Shikamaru. But, I'm sure it will be signed. I already got a verbal agreement," I respond, while rubbing the back of my head. I hope Uncle Inoichi isn't pissed that I _sort of_ took matters into my own hands. Wait a minute, he's staring at me! Whew! He just raised his eyebrow, and then smirked. The coast is clear.

"As good as this deal is, I'm not sure that I want to have any dealings with a shady character like Fugaku Uchiha," Uncle Inoichi says while shaking his head, followed by a sigh. He then looks at the proposal again, before handing the large stack of papers back to me.

"Sorry, sport, but I have to agree with your uncle on this one. Fugaku Uchiha is a toxic asset. I'm surprised you're so comfortable dealing with him, considering he's been trying to buy you since September," my dad adds casually, and I can't hide the look of shock that decorates my face.

"Don't look at me like that. You're my only son, my only child; of course, I'm going to check up on you. So, even though you forbade me from helping you with your finances, I check your account balance every week to make sure that you aren't going without. I was quite surprised to see a nearly 3000 dollar surplus hadn't been accounted for. I had my suspicions of where it came from, and had them confirmed when all of those gifts arrived at our cabin on Christmas," my dad adds, and I'm seething. I say that I want to be a man and to stand on my own two feet, and his ass ignores my request, and goes snooping through my funds. He's worse than mom!

"I am so going to remove you from my account the minute that I get back into town," I say calmly, but with a frown on my face. Apparently, it doesn't faze my dad, because he just gives me the Namikaze grin, while rubbing the back of his neck. That's okay, we'll see who's grinning next week!

"Anyways, **Uncle Inoichi**, you don't have to worry about Fugaku, because his time as president is limited," I add, and after seeing two very puzzled faces, I realize that I'm going to have to explain further.

"It's a bit beyond me, so I hope that what I'm about to say makes sense. If it does, please explain it to me. But, it all starts with Itachi, Fugaku's oldest son. You see he had been planning a coup d'état since he was 13 years old. Not only did he change _a lot_ of the company's policies under Fugaku's nose, he started buying shares the minute he was of legal age. By the time he defected three years ago, he owned 9% of the shares. Because he didn't appear to be making any direct moves involving or against Uchiha Corps, Fugaku got sloppy with his business transactions. His three major dealings are with Amaterasu, GK based in Okinawa, Japan, Tsukiyomi, Ltd based in Hong Kong, and Susanoo, LLP based in the UK. Most people believe that Anko Mitarashi, Konan Cheung and Samui Michaelson run those companies, but they are only acting presidents for the real president, who went on sabbatical five years ago. Wanna guess who the president is? Furthermore, Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi and Susanoo are just subsidiaries of Akatsuki, K.K., which is also run and owned by Itachi. So, if you look at the shares, Amaterasu own 13 percent, Tsukiyomi owns 12 percent, and Susanoo own 17 percent. Add it all up and it gives Itachi 51 percent of Uchiha Corporations shares, making him the majority owner. Now that he's reclaimed his position as president of his subsidiaries, he's going to replace Fugaku with Sasuke as president of Uchiha Corps at the next board meeting in three weeks. He's willing to stand in as acting president until Sasuke is ready and able to take over, but he wants nothing to do with Uchiha Corps beyond that," I explain to the best of my abilities, and I'm relieved that Uncle Inoichi and my dad look a lot less confused than what I did when it was first explained to me.

"I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by Itachi's level of genius or more disturbed by his level of ruthlessness. It says a lot about a man when he's willing to turn against his own father, no matter how big of a piece of shit his father may be. Are you certain we can trust him?" Uncle Inoichi says after letting out a long, slow whistle. I don't even have to think about it.

"I trust him," I say emphatically.

"Well, if he has my boy's trust, then he has mine as well," my dad says, after resting his hand on top of my head. I try to look over at him, but his damn hand is too heavy.

"Then I guess it's settled. I'll send this along to Kakashi to see if anything needs to be tightened up, and if not, tell Itachi that he has himself a deal," Uncle Inoichi states, before setting the proposal onto his desk. He then turns to me with a stern look. What the hell did I do now?

"Now that all of that is taken care off, I want you to go off and have a good time on your trip. You worry far too much about trivial things for someone your age. Leave Yamanaka Enterprise to me," he lectures, and my dad makes sure that he adds his one-half cent.

"Yeah, no kidding. At the rate you're going, you're going to be grayer than pops before you can legally drink a beer," he says, before messing up my hair. I swear I get no respect around here. I had to deal with a maniacal tyrant all year long, who was seriously trying to open up shop in our company, and yet they say I worry about trivial things. Furthermore, what the hell is up with my dad's attraction to my hair? He has the same shit on top of his head, yet he insists on messing up mine even though I spent an hour trying to get it to NOT look like bedhead. I swear that I'm going to put him in the shittiest nursing home that I can find when he gets old.

"But, speaking of trips, here's a little something from me and your mom," My dad interrupts my thoughts, and then hands me an envelope. I look inside it, and count ten one-hundred dollar bills. My dad sees that I'm about to hand it back, but he stops my hand.

"Naruto, I know that you want to do everything on your own, and I've let you for the most part. But, spring break is only once a year and this is your first one as a college student, so you want to enjoy it, because good or bad, it will be an unforgettable experience. Besides, you do not want to be over 1500 miles away from home stressing out about money. Take the cash," he says, and I have to look between him and the envelope several times before I decide to put it in my pocket. Immediately, there is a sense of relief, because I had worked out a budget that didn't leave room for any deviation, and now, I'm sure that I can cover any and all expenses.

"Thanks dad," I say, and unsurprisingly, his damn hand is on top of my head again.

"No problem. Like I said, you're my only child… at least for the next few months," he replies, and then looks around the room, not meeting my face. I'm slow on the uptake, but I eventually get it.

"Whoa, mom's pregnant? Since when? How long did you know? What is she having?" I rattle off as quickly as my brain can form words, and my dad just smiles, calmly.

"Yes, your mom is pregnant, she's six weeks along, we've known for about two weeks, and we won't know the sex for a few months," he answers, yet I'm already imagining having a little brother around. Not only will I be able to teach him how to raise hell, having another guy around will balance out the estrogen around here. The women in my family have way too much power.

"I can't wait to meet my little brother," I announce, and before my mouth closes, my dad's hand is on top of it, and he's looking around the room as quickly as he can move his head.

"Do NOT let Kushina hear you say that! She swears that she's having a girl, and saying anything differently leads to very bad things," my dad says firmly, and my little image shatters as I imagine a miniature Ino walking through the house, pulling my hair, stealing my stuff and siding with mom. My dad must be thinking something similar, because his eyes are just as wide as mine.

"So, my little brother is finally going to have the _pleasure_ of having a daughter, huh? Nice! I can't wait till the teenage years arrive," Uncle Inoichi speaks, and my dad looks a little green. It causes Uncle Inoichi to slap him on his back, before turning to me.

"I also have a little something for you," he says, before placing a set of keys in my hand, "You wouldn't allow me to pay for your plane tickets, so at least let me rent you a decent car. The last thing I need is for one of the piece of shits you kids drive to break down. I am not driving all the way to Florida to drag your asses back here," he adds, and I can see the finality in his eyes. So, after gripping the keys, and patting my pocket, I see that there is nothing more to do here.

"I guess I'll see you guys in a week," I say, and after hearing a chorus of goodbyes, and surviving a death grip from my mom, I head out.

* * *

"Hell yeah!" Kiba yells as I pull up in the rental SUV. Standing in front the residence hall is Shikamaru, Sakura, Deidara, Ino, Sasuke and a shit-ton of bags. I think an airline carousel has less luggage than this.

"What the hell? We're spending a week in Miami, not doing a six month tour in Iraq!" I yell after I turn the radio down. Shikamaru mutters something about me knowing who the bags belong to, Ino tells me to shut up, and Sakura hits me upside the head. See what I mean about respect?

"Alright, where did you get the ride? I know your cheap ass didn't rent this," Ino says after forcing Kiba to load all of her bags, and taking a seat all the way in the back. Sasuke tries to get in the front passenger seat, but Deidara just moves him out of the way, and takes it for himself.

"I'm not cheap, just practical, and Uncle Inoichi forced this onto me," I reply angrily, but she's not fazed.

"Thank you, Dad!" She says with just as much anger, and I just know that she is mentally cursing me out for not accepting the plane tickets.

'_What the hell? Why should we spend days driving there and back when we could do it in a few hours?'_

Yup, a whole lot of people were mad at me, but they'll get over it. Aww, poor Sasuke. Kiba and Sakura took the two middle seats, so he has to sit in the back with Ino and Shikamaru. By the look on Ino's face, she's _loving _that set up.

"Alright, if we each take turns every four hours, excluding Sasuke, we should get there by noon, one at the latest," I announce. Road trip!

* * *

"Ugh! What is that smell?" Sakura yells, and then covers her mouth and nose. At first, I'm wondering what the hell she's talking about, but then it hits me. It's the stench of flambéed, rotten ass.

"Alright, who fucking farted?" I yell as I turn around in my seat upfront. I've already done my share of the driving, and Sakura has done hers, leaving Shikamaru with the third shift. Considering that Uncle Inoichi left me in charge of the rental, I refused to sit in the back, and man am I glad I did. I need direct access to the window.

"My bad, that was me," Kiba announces, and immediately all shirts are raised above noses. While he's laughing like hell, Shikamaru just rolls down all the windows without saying a word.

"Shika, what the hell are you doing? It's too cold outside for that," Ino complains while pulling her arms into her sleeves. It gets no reaction from Shika.

"I am not about to be hot boxed to the stench of his asshole while I'm trying to concentrate on driving. Deal with it," he responds dryly, leaving everybody to glare at Kiba. Deidara is so pissed that he turns in his seat so that he can glare more efficiently.

"Whew! That came from my soul," Kiba says happily while fanning around himself. Neither Sasuke nor Ino are amused.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with this piece of shit?"

"I told you we should have stopped for gas!"

"You're the one that wanted to eat first!"

"Fuck you, it's your fault!"

"No, it's his fault!"

"Don't put it on me! It's that bastard's fault!"

This is what I wake up to, so it's not surprising that my head feels as though it's vibrating. Considering that it is dark as fuck, we're surrounded by trees and dirt roads, and we're not moving, I quickly conclude that the truck broke down.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"This jackass…"

"That bastard…"

"He didn't…"

"She said…"

"We couldn't…"

I ask a simple question, and this is what I get all at once. Is it surprising that throbbing has been added to the vibrations of my head?

"Sasuke, what the hell is going?" I ask the voice of reason. That used to be Shika, but now, if you address him, Sakura takes it as her cue to talk, meaning the rest of them will talk, getting us back to square one.

"We ran out of gas," he answers casually from his place in the back. It's kind of funny seeing him sitting there calmly, while Ino and Sakura are attached to the top of Kiba's head, Shika has his head in his hands, and Deidara is outside of the car pacing.

"I go to sleep for a few hours, and this is what happens? What the hell? Nobody thought to get some gas?" I ask angrily, and from her perch on Kiba's head, Sakura answers.

"We told this bastard to get gas at every gas station that we passed, but he kept saying the next one, the next one. NOW, THERE IS NO FUCKING NEXT ONE!" She screams, causing all of the men to cringe, and Ino to hit Kiba again.

"How the fuck was I supposed to know that the people around here don't believe in gas?" Kiba rebutted, causing both girls to start yelling again. Meanwhile, it feels as though my head is in a tourniquet, and I'm about ready to kill somebody to make it stop.

"SHUT UP!" I scream, and instantly regret it. The car is silent, but now my head is pulsating.

"There's no need to panic, we're insured. I'm calling triple A," I say after I can think without pain. I speak to an agent, and am told that it will be a few hours before they can get to us, because, to put it lightly, we're in the capital of bumfuck. I explain this to everybody; they are not happy. So, after pulling EVERYBODY off of Kiba, we decide to sleep. It does not go well.

"That better not be your dick," Ino growls lowly, before looking behind her, and then down at Kiba's crotch. She's not happy with what she sees.

"You fucking pervert! Here I am trying to keep warm, and your ass is over here sprouting wood," she yells, and Kiba reddens.

"Hey, you're the one who rubbed against it! My soldier always rises to the occasion! He was just doing his job!" he rebuts, causing Ino to get up and step on everybody in the process. Shikamaru and Sakura are cuddled up, while Deidara and I are huddling, which leaves Sasuke, who chose to fend for himself. Ino looks at her options, and then sits out by herself, shivering. Sasuke looks over at her, sadly, before turning in the other direction. The action isn't lost to Deidara.

"Did they have a falling out, or something?" He whispers to me, and I see that he is hyper-analyzing them. Everybody else knows a VERY abridged version of what went on, but we left Dei in the dark. It really is for the best.

"She's not happy with him right now, but they'll be okay," I reply as nonchalantly as possible. Deidara narrows his eyes slightly, but then lays back down. Good, may he never find out.

* * *

"It's about damn time! I can't wait to get away from y'all," Kiba declares as Deidara pulls up to our hotel at 5:36pm the next day. Immediately, Sakura and Ino start cursing him out, leaving the rest of the tourists to stare at our car. Is it possible to get a noise violation in a moving vehicle?

"Alright boys, make yourselves useful. Ino and I are going to freshen up," Sakura orders before sauntering off with my sister. We all look over at their bags, and leave that shit right there.

"Okay, we already know that Sakura and Ino are going to share a room…" I start, and Deidara talks over me.

"I'm taking one of the rooms for myself. You talk in your sleep, he farts, I don't really know him, and he sleeps too damn much. When I bring somebody back, I don't want to have to constantly kick him out," he says, before walking over to the receptionist. Somehow, he just hoed all of us, but it happened so fast, that no one has a comeback.

"What the hell? We only reserved three rooms. If the girls are taking one, and he's taking one, that leaves one room for all four of us!" Kiba says, looking horrified.

"Bery good reasoning skillrues. I'm impressed," Sasuke replies dryly, and Kiba doesn't miss a beat.

"Shut your ass up!" he yells, and I pull out the money envelope. Thank you, dad!

"Where in the hell did you get some money from, and didn't tell me? How much is it? Let me see," Ino says from behind me, scaring the shit out me, and almost making me drop the envelope. Quickly, I close it, and put it back in my pocket.

"From the looks of it, those were all hundreds," Sakura informs even though she's a good ten feet away.

"What the hell? How did you even see anything? Fucking gold-diggers!" I yell and both girls start yelling and walking towards me. Luckily, Kiba catches them both in a headlock.

"Hurry up, man! Go get the rooms! Don't worry about me! Save yourself!" He yells, and every person entering and leaving the hotel turns to look at them. I walk away as fast as I can, hoping no one notices that we're all together.

* * *

The economy rooms were all taken, so Sasuke and I had to take a standard room, which is going to run us about 100 dollars a day. Deidara is paying for half of it, so I can't really complain. It sure beats the little shit box that Kiba and Shika have to stay in. Not to mention, Kiba's ass is rotten! It's hard to pick up girls when your clothes carry the embedded aroma of asshole. There's also the benefit of better room service, not that I think that I'm going to have time to use it much. After sleeping all yesterday, we have plans to go water skiing, club hopping, shopping, museum touring, restaurant touring, art gallery touring and hiking within four days. See what happens when you on vacation with six other people?

"Are you ready?" Ino calls out from behind the bathroom door and Sakura starts making catcalls. They both bought new swimsuits for the vacation, and dragged us into their room so that they could model for us. We already lived through Sakura's performance in her green and white halter bikini. Now, we need to praise and hurry Ino along so that we can go.

"Here it is!" Ino announces as she walks out in a solid black strappy thing that leaves nothing to the imagination. There is no ass cheek showing or boob falling out, so I'm happy with it. In fact, she looks good. Everybody thinks and says so, even Sasuke, who keeps his gaze averted. It's slight, but Ino gets a pinched look behind her eyes. Luckily, Deidara isn't paying attention.

"Yeah! I see those seven pounds went to all the right places," Sakura yells, before slapping Ino's ass hard enough that it makes a noise. Ino instantly grabs it so that it doesn't jiggle too much, before turning bright red.

"That's the second time you've done that today. I'm beginning to question your sexual orientation!" She yells, causing Sakura to come over to grind and mock hump her. Kiba, Shikamaru and Sasuke are smiling, which just makes Ino redder.

"If you two are done, let's get a move on, hm," Deidara says, and all playing cease. I guess spring break has officially started.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: ** This is it! IT'S OOOOOOVEEEERRRRR! ^_^

**Chapter 14**

"Well, what did you get? Did you get a 4?" I ask as I look over Sasuke's shoulder in an attempt to view his final grades, but can't see past his damn hair. I don't know why he puts so much product in it. I guess Edward Scissorhands is more popular in Japan than I thought.

"No, I got three A's and three A minuses," he says after pushing my face away from his screen. I laugh at his irritation for a minute, but then I process what he said.

"Are you going to take those classes over," I ask, slightly in disbelieve. He just looks at me and smiles slightly, while shaking his head.

"No," he replies casually, and I can't help but to notice the change in him. He looks happier than I've ever seen him, and apparently, Itachi too, based on how he just stares at Sasuke in awe whenever they meet. I can't shake the feeling that Itachi lives through Sasuke in way. They've both made sacrifices in their childhood, but Itachi lost the most with him not being able to express his emotions clearly. What a hell of a life.

"Can you believe this year is just about over?" I ask after reflecting on everything that happened. I remember when I first walked into this room and now Deidara's graduating after making up some classes this summer, Sasuke is leaving on a flight to Japan later today, and I'm being officially kicked out of the dorms tomorrow. Wow!

"It seemed so lrong, but now that it's ober…" Sasuke replies, letting the sentence hang. He doesn't have to finish it; I feel the same way.

"Dude, I fucking hated you," I say while laughing about it. Sasuke finds it even funnier.

"The feelrin was mutualru," he replies with a devious look on his face, and I don't even want to know what he's thinking about, because I did _everything_ to him. I used his toothbrush to clean the mini-fridge, I hid pens in his clothes so that they could washed and ruined, I _accidentally_ spilled juice on his bookbag… man, you name it, I did it.

"It's going to be strange libing in Japan again. My Engrish is going to suck when I come back here," Sasuke announces, and I burst out laughing with my hands held out in the typical why pose.

"Wha? You mean more than it already does?" I ask through the laughter, and don't even bother to block when Sasuke hits me upside the head.

"Fuck. You. How's that Engrish for you? Did you understand that?" He replies quickly, and it just causes me to laugh more. He then elbows me, and I almost fall off his bed, but I keep laughing.

"You two are fighting to the end, I see," Ino says as she walks in. Within seconds, Sasuke is standing by the door beside her, and I'm left on the bed by myself. I'm cool with it. In fact, I would be a little concerned if a man chooses to stay seated with me and his woman is standing a few feet away, especially if they're going to be separated for months on end.

"Don't forget that I'm still sitting over here, damn it," I warn before they start talking. They have a bad habit of acting as if no one else is around when they're together, and will not think twice about making out in front of you. It's to the point where Deidara refuses to hang around both of them at the same time.

It's strange to think about, but they wouldn't be anywhere near where they are now, if they had not been forced to spend spring break together. Believe me, the two-week interval between their break up and Miami was unbearable for _everybody_, because Sasuke avoided Ino at all costs, and wouldn't meet her gaze when she was around, and Ino tended to act like he didn't exist, even though you could clearly see that she was hurt when she thought that no one was looking. It was just a tense and awkward atmosphere to be in, which only got worse in Miami.

At first, they stayed away from each other, but then Ino started flirting with every guy she saw to piss Sasuke off, only to get pissed off herself when he acted as if he didn't care. So, of course she had to take it a step further, and make out with a dude right of him, which caused him to leave altogether. That night ended with Ino getting shitfaced and crying, Sakura on vomit duty, Shikamaru trying to talk Sakura out of murdering Sasuke, and me just wishing that it would end. It didn't get any better when I returned to a trashed room, and had to pay three hundred dollars in damages. Where were Deidara and Kiba in all of this? Off fucking girls, quite loudly, considering I could clearly hear what was going on when I walked by their rooms even though their doors were closed.

The next day we were slated to leave, so I pulled Sasuke aside and told him to talk to her. I remember that conversation quite clearly.

"_Alright, dude, this shit is ridiculous. Neither one of you are happy, and it's sucking the life out of everybody. Fucking man up, and go talk to her," I say in exasperation. Now, Sasuke isn't even looking me in my face, and I know that if something isn't done soon, the situation is only going to deteriorate further._

"_Do you really want me around your sister?" Sasuke asks self-deprecatingly with a slight laugh, but the look on my face remains serious._

"_Do you care about my sister?" I rebut with a question, and get no response. So, I ask it again. Once more, Sasuke doesn't respond, but he finally meets my gaze, and I can see straight through him._

"_Go talk to her, man," I finally say after several quiet seconds. Sasuke is hesitant, but minutes later, I see him pulling Ino aside._

He told her everything, and I mean everything. She knows even more about the situation than I do, and I was directly involved. On top of that, he told her damn near every detail of his life that he could recall which is a hell of lot more than I know or even want to know. That marathon conversation started three hours before we left the hotel, continued through texts all the way back, and finished at our dorm. I was seriously wondering if Sasuke's vocal chords would have stretch marks on them, because that was probably the most talking that he has done in his entire life. But, I guess it was worth it, because she did take him back. Though she also slapped him with the three-month rule, so he's either going to spend lots of time rubbing some out, or he's going to be rocking smurf balls until summer starts.

"Are you really going to be gone until school starts back up?" Ino asks dejectedly, and you can see her displeasure quite clearly. Sasuke doesn't look happy either, but he still nods yes.

"I'era be back to bisit for a few days in Julry," he replies after a moment with a hopeful look on his face, but Ino continues staring at the floor. Once he sees that Ino isn't perking up, his face falls, too.

"I hab to take care of my dad," he finally says in sadness, and even though it is only two days before May, the room goes cold. You see, after Itachi removed Fugaku as president, he tried to attack Itachi, and was escorted off the Uchiha Corp premises. Once he arrived back at his house, he had a nervous breakout, and tried to commit suicide. He took every pill that Mikoto owned, and she found him hours later on the bathroom floor, unconscious. After his stomach was pumped, they did a psychiatric evaluation and deemed him clinically insane. He was committed upon his hospital release, and has been living in an asylum ever since. The first two weeks he spent fighting, but now he has completely shut down. He does not talk even when he's being spoken to, and spends most of his time gazing out of the window. Itachi refuses to see him, and Mikoto only breaks down in his presence, so Sasuke is truly the only one left.

"Do you think he'll speak to you this time?" Ino asks softly while trying to meet Sasuke's gaze, but now he's staring at the floor.

"No, but I hab to try," he says quietly after giving a full body shrug. Even though I'm all the way over here on this bed, I can see through his eyes that he's not here anymore. Ino senses it too, so she learns forward and rests her forehead against his. Instantly, his eyes close, and you can tell that the contact keeps him anchored while he's sorting through his thoughts.

Sasuke has been flying back and forth to Japan every weekend since Fugaku's breakdown, but no matter how often he visits him or what he says, Fugaku doesn't respond. He's just the visage of total blankness, and to be honest, though I will never say it to Sasuke, I don't think there's any saving him. He died the minute he walked into that house and saw those bodies, but the desire to raise his family's name kept him animated, and one step above complete insanity. Now, that the control of his goal has been stripped from him, the darkness has caught up. I've never liked Fugaku, but it still makes me sad. Sasuke recently showed me a picture of Fugaku and Mikoto's family that was kept hidden away. Everybody was laughing and seemed so carefree that it scared me. It reminded me so much of my family that I couldn't sleep any that night or the next. I can't help but to wonder if Fugaku and I are one tragedy removed from being the same person.

"I'll be waiting for you when you come back, and you better come back. If you don't, I'll be on the first plane to Japan to drag your ass back here," Ino says after a tense moment of silence and after Sasuke fully returns from his thoughts. Somehow, he comment causes Sasuke to laugh even though he's clearly worried about his dad, and once again, his forces morphs in a way that makes him look much younger than an 18 almost 19-year-old guy. For a long time, I thought that I was going crazy, but Ino mentioned him looking creepily younger than normal at times, too. Of course, this was said in front of Sakura, who had to comment on how weird it be if it happened while Ino and Sasuke were fucking. I really didn't enjoy that image, and Ino didn't appear to, either.

"Why not sabe a trip, and come with me now? It would be fun. You can alrso meet my mom. She's been asking about you," Sasuke informs, but Ino shakes her head no. I already talked to her about this, and her reasoning was that she didn't want to be a distraction and that Sasuke and his family needed to work on themselves before she comes barging in, her word, not mine. She told Sasuke the same thing, but he continues to ask her to come with him. I know that a part of him probably truly wants her there, but I also think that he's just afraid to face all of this on his own, and I don't fault him for it. No 18-year-old should have this much responsibility.

"I guess I'era see you when I get back," Sasuke says after being refused for the umpteenth time. I can see that Ino wants to change her mind. Don't do it, sis. You know that this is for the best.

"Yeah, I'll be here," she says after a moment, and I let out the breath I was holding. She then helps him carry out a few of his bags. I could get up to help, but I let them have this moment together. They won't see each other for two months, and then after a few days together, it will be another two months. Naw, I'll let them have this time to themselves. Besides, I do NOT want them making out in front of me.

"Well, he's off. Deidara is dropping him off at the airport now," Ino says after Sasuke's portion of the room is clear, and it's just me and my things. Besides a nod, I don't reply, because I honestly don't think I am expected to. My hunch is confirmed when she sits next to me on the now bare bottom bunk and smiles slightly. Yup, she was totally talking to herself.

"Naruto, do you think Sasuke's the one?" She asks after a long pause, and the question surprises me so much that I turn to look at her.

"You're trying to become an Uchiha?" I ask in slight jest and slight seriousness. Immediately, Ino's face scrunches up.

"Yeah, right! I was asking if you think he'd make a good Yamanaka someday. Pfft, Uchiha!" She replies, and I can't help but to laugh at the thought. I then remember Sasuke interacting with our family during Thanksgiving break, and can't help but to smile.

"Maybe, his family is fucked up enough to fit right in with ours," I state, and Ino laughs as she bumps into my side. We're silent for a few more moments, but then she stands up, and does a full feline stretch.

"Well, I'm off. Let me know if you need any help," she says, and I nod, before she heads out. I still have more packing to do, but I don't budge. I'm in awe that I have completed my freshman year. So many things happened that I truly thought were going to break me, but I survived. For so long, I thought the word freshman simply meant first year. Now, I realize that the word freshman marks a time where you think you know so much, but in reality, you don't know shit. So, though I have finished my freshman year of college, I still feel like a freshman in life, and that worries me. Oh well, I've been making an ass out of myself all of this time, I might as well continue to do so. But, know that I will be raising hell all along the way.


	15. Editorial

**Why write fanfiction?**

As I stated throughout my author's notes, I am currently working on a novel, which will be published later this year as long as I meet my deadline. The problem is that it will only be read by a handful of people before it reaches a general audience, and I needed some feedback about certain aspects of my writing style, such as the amount of dialogue versus narrative usage, my command of first person, my general word ordering and my ability or inability to efficiently explain detail without being too verbose. In addition, I needed an outlet to help me to relax, because I agonize over the tiniest of details when working on a novel, and have been known to completely shut down all writing efforts if I can't think of a particular word that I want to use. Therefore, the fact that fanfiction is not publishable, written without a deadline and is reviewed section by section made it an appealing option to me.

**Setting…**

I decided to write a story centered on Naruto's first year of college, because it is a period of my life that I remember all too well, and can discuss ad nauseam, meaning that it would have required little work on my part to create a fictional freshman. I also noticed that college is a common setting in most alternate universe fics, but the college experience that is described is nothing like I've ever witnessed, and many times, it mirrors my high school years more so than my years at university.

**Plot…**

Just about every person that completes a year of college, especially if they lived in a dorm, experiences a life changing event, be it them failing all of their classes, suffering from alcohol poisoning, having sex with a bunch of people, falling in love, etc. Now, though all of those experiences make good stand-alone stories amongst a group of friends, you would be hard pressed to entertain hundreds of people from all over the world with them. Therefore, I had to find a way to beef up the college experience without losing the integrity it, so I combined the most common of experiences into one circle of friends, and then added the very uncommon conflict of the Uchiha takeover. I wanted to give the story some of the extreme aspects of fantasy, yet maintain a strong sense of realism, so I reconciled this by using a plausible conflict that only a very few people would ever live through.

**Characterization…**

This is by far the hardest element of writing fanfiction, especially if it is set in an alternate universe, because you have to take these well-known and loved characters out of their standard environments, change their background stories and possibly age them, yet maintain enough of their personalities that they are still recognizable to the readers. I cannot count how many times I had to erase paragraphs, rewrite dialogue or restart a scene because I felt like I didn't capture enough of the essence of the original character from the manga. All if can say is that I hope that I was successful, because it is tough business to take a two-dimensional, cartoon character, and add real life elements to them to try to make them seem as though they can be your next-door neighbors. Obviously, I couldn't create perfect replicas, because for one, I am not Kishimoto, and two, teenage ninjas that have talking animals with demons living inside of them just doesn't seem to fit very well into our society. So, I decided to amplify a small aspect of each character's personality from the show to make them seem new yet the same, simultaneously.

With Sasuke, I focused on his loyalty to his family even when they are wrong, and his sensitivity and naivety when dealing with turmoil, which is exactly the opposite of his brother. Itachi was so damaged from his childhood experiences in the manga that he acquired the ability to kill his emotions when it came to protecting the greater good, except when it involved his brother, so I wanted to develop a closely related background for him. Similarly, Fugaku and Mikoto were shown to be tough parents in manga when Sasuke was very young, and only later on did his mother soften, so I wanted to use that in my story. I also wanted to highlight what drove the Uchiha to treachery, because in the manga, they were not evil people hell bent on rising to power simply for the sake of having power.

As for Naruto, I wanted to highlight his loyalty to anybody that he feels close to, his drive to be successful based on his own merits, and his odd combination of low book intelligence and high common sense. He may not pass a written ninja exam, or in this story's case a class, but he has a strong understanding of what's right and wrong, is not easily manipulated when it counts and can mentally survive even the worst adversity. To complement him, I built a strong group of friends and family with Ino being outwardly shallow and flirtatious, but internally caring and sensitive, Sakura being bossy and headstrong, but secretly self-conscious to a fault, Deidara being a bit aloof and condescending, but deeply concerned about those that he loves, Kiba being a loud and playful, carefree guy that has a skill you would never guess, and Shikamaru being the silent, intelligent voice of reason that somehow gets dragged into craziness by a group of friends he often wonders how he made. The elder members of the family were the easiest to incorporate, because I did not have to deviate from their manga personalities very much.

**Theme…**

Before I even begin to write a story, I make a decision on what theme I want to convey, because if there isn't one, the story comes across as two-dimensional, because just about every move that we make in real life has some lesson behind it even it's just, "Maybe you shouldn't do that again." Therefore, based on the setting I had already chosen, I decided to focus on the startling revelation that you really don't know what you're doing in this life. Most people walk into college feeling as though they are the wisest of adults, infallible to stupidity and untouchable by weakness. Then, you proceed to make an ass of yourself for nine months, so that by the end of the year you realize just how unintelligent you were, and can't help but to wonder if you even classify as intelligent now.

The second major theme that I wanted to highlight centered on unity and friendship that's challenged in the face of darkness. In the manga, you're preached to about the bonds of friendship and how important loyalty is from the very beginning. However, as the story goes on, the characters have to decide on which of the two is more important, what is acceptable when protecting or upholding these views, and are their actions and motivations truly noble. This is what I wanted to incorporate into my story, because Naruto really isn't a feel-good manga if you consider the amount of death and war that's found from start to present, and how an entire clan was wiped out to protect the larger populace. You understand why everything was done, but it still leaves you feeling a bit sour, hence my handling of Fugaku in my story. You know exactly why everything needed to be done, and there is relief that the worst is over, but do you really feel good about Fugaku's fate, and are you sure that the situation was handled in the best form?

**Style… **

I have always found it strange that so many writers and readers dislike first person works, yet most gossip is in first person, and we speak in first person every day. In fact, a person comes across as a total ass if they refer to themselves in third person, so apparently, there must be some disconnect between how we talk and how we write. That's why I decided to take on this challenge, because I not only like to challenge the norm, I like to succeed at the challenge, and I desperately needed the practice with controlling my tenses. So many times I had to edit and then re-edit chapters to put everything in the proper tense, and I'm quite sure that I failed to do so more than once. However, when done correctly, first person works can really create a sense of closeness to a character that is unattainable in other voices, and can also make the reader feel as though they are a part of the action versus the looking glass feel many people develop when reading a work in third person. All I can say is that I hope that I was successful in some form, and this style of writing is truly a work in progress for me.

**Ad libitum…**

I received quite a few reviews, emails and private messages about the sexual orientation of my characters, so I thought I would elaborate on what I said in my author's note in Chapter 12. I have no problem with homosexuality in fiction or real life, but I am a bit disturbed by the lack of stories highlighting the strength of friendship between straight men, which is a shame because many males form bonds that start in childhood and last throughout their lives, while female friendships exhibit a VERY high turnover rate. There is also some irritation at the notion that if two men are close they must want to have sex or start a relationship. Therefore, instead of getting annoyed that people aren't writing what I want to read, I decided to fill the void myself, which is why I keep my main characters straight.

Finally, I want to thank everyone that took the time to review my work, because even though it may seem like a trivial comment to you, it means a lot more to me. I won't be adding chapters or doing a sequel to this story, but I am considering a collection of outtakes, so to speak, that will show what went on in between chapters. I am also open to requests even though future works will likely only be one-shots, because I really don't have the time to do chaptered fanfiction, and it requires a lot of effort to keep a story running smoothly for several chapters. With that said, **THANK YOU!**


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